Book 1 Chapter 5
Episode 4
"To acquire Bell Sidious, one must train for 7 years, and to acquire Bell Querius, one must train for 70 years."
That is said to be the last will and testament left by the family's progenitor, Ryuken Ludwig.
Seven years, it's seven years.
The average time it takes to master Bell Sidious. And that's only if the family recognizes one's genius and begins Bell Sidious training.
'He only took ten days for that…?'
The activation conditions for Bell Sidious rely on the multiple calculations of three spells.
Multiple calculations are the domain of a Sage.
If you don't understand, try calculating three equations simultaneously in your head right now. Can you do it? It's impossible.
'But in the case of Bell Sidious, if you just memorize the fixed formulas and equations, that is, if you just master the knack, you can use it…'
It takes at least 7 years just to master that knack. Although performing multiple calculations for ordinary magic, where all conditions and results change, is unthinkable…
'In history, the only ones who achieved that were two Sages and the Archmage Rin, who was called a prodigy of multiple calculations.'
Gulp.
Elin Ludwig swallowed dry.
'Rain, is this kid a genius?'
No, it's not the level of a genius.
This kid is──
"He might be a vessel for a Sage?"
Kayburn, who returned to the mansion after finishing his academic schedule, stared blankly and repeated his sister's words.
Bell Sidious in ten days?
Was that even possible?
No, if he had already reached that level, it would mean Kayburn could no longer guide him.
"Brother, because of Rain, our family might become the leading magic family. He's really insane."
After Elin left after chattering for a while, Kayburn sat alone for a long time.
My son…
Watching his son's incredible growth, Kayburn felt his heart swell with pride, yet at the same time, a subtle sadness.
'As a father, to be less talented than my son and unable to guide him.'
But…
"Yude."
As soon as Kayburn's order was given, a silhouette appeared from beyond the curtain. It was the competent head butler who had been in charge of the mansion's affairs for 20 years.
[Yes, your command.]
"Contact my father."
A momentary silence.
Yude's shadow wavered.
[……To the former head of the family, sir?]
"Is there a problem?"
[I knew your relationship with the former head was strained, so I needed to confirm. Please forgive me.]
That wasn't a lie.
Kayburn had experienced intense conflict with his father when he married Brim, and eventually, his father left to become a professor at a magic academy in the central capital.
"Tell him that his son does not regret his mistakes in the slightest, nor does he consider them mistakes."
[……?]
"But write respectfully and send a message stating that your son's son has the talent to surpass you, and humbly ask him to guide him."
For a moment, Yude chuckled.
Rather than reprimanding him, Kayburn laughed along. Yude replied.
[When it comes to the young master, you truly stop at nothing. I will carry out your command, Your Excellency.]
* * *
Spring ended, and a short summer arrived.
The summer lasted for a year.
A dark rainy front covered the continent, and daily downpours lashed against the library's windows.
"Summer, huh…"
The summer of the year Lista came to find the boy was incomparably fiercer and more brutal than now.
That summer which lasted for five years.
The summer that endlessly scattered blood clots across the world.
- I am Lista Alter Shirpain, a Feyquarrior from the Orthodox Church of the Radiant Dragon! Won't you come with me?
Listening to the sound of the rain, the day she came to find him came to mind, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
Why was that?
It was really, really hard.
Hot, sticky, exhausting… it was truly a painful journey. Why do I still miss those days so much? Even while living in such a peaceful Golden Age.
"O-bba, summer, when will summer end?"
"It won't last long. It's already late summer."
Then the world turned stark white, and soon thunder roared, and a terrified Seri clung tightly to the boy.
"Shall I tell you a scary story?"
"O-kay!"
"When midsummer comes, lizardmen awaken in the abyss… but those guys are invisible… they use camouflage…"
"Ca, camouflage…?"
"They come up behind you, without a sound and without form… Waaaah!"
When the boy suddenly screamed, Seri shrieked and quickly ran away to where her mother's bedroom was.
Now I can do my studies.
The boy was sly… but it wasn't a lie. It was just one of the demon races Rin had faced. They're even scarier in person.
"A scary story works really well. I'll have to use it again next time."
That year, the boy was very busy.
He took household magic lessons from his father and aunt, taught basic magic to his younger sister, and trained his physical strength and magic power in the evenings.
Physical strength was indeed important.
Being able to run around like warriors in a pinch is good, but the biggest reason is that concentration for studying comes from physical strength.
And magic power was also very important.
Without magic power, even if you know how to use 4th or 5th-tier magic, you cannot use it.
'It would be a blessing if I just collapsed from magic exhaustion.'
It was also common for the spell-binding to be damaged by rampage. If that happened, one's life as a mage would be considered ruined.
In truth, after mastering Bell Sidious, there was nothing left for him to learn from Elin or his father. The problem was Elin.
"How do you do this?"
"No, you really don't know this? Ugh, give it here!"
Nevertheless, she was still a bothersome person, so he had to answer questions like these several times a day.
Is this a "courtesy defense battle"?
Anyway, putting that aside, what recently captivated Rain's interest was the progress of modern magic.
'To think they've codified formulas that used to be several times more complex like this…'
The amplified power went without saying, and the mathematical formulas had been greatly simplified, considering activation time and learning difficulty.
"You're not an old man, so why do you only use all these old formulas? To act cool? Hey, girls don't like that, you know? They dislike it when you needlessly show off."
Elin saying that was the starting point for him to become interested in modern magic.
'It really gets more interesting the more I look at it…'
It meant that over 300 years, mathematics and the world had steadily advanced. While Rin had been sleeping for 300 years.
'I've become completely outdated…'
He might even lose to a modern 4th-tier mage with a low probability. The progress of modern magic was at that level.
'Come to think of it, what happened to the academy I was at…?'
The place where a kind-faced old woman, who gave the orphan Rin food, clothes, a place to sleep, and taught him magic, was the head.
The academy's name was Osarius Academy.
Its origins were quite deep, but it was just one of the minor academies, possessing only a single dilapidated and crumbling magic tower.
- This is not where you belong.
That person even gave him the name Rin (meaning 'spring breeze'), with the hope that he would bring a new wind to the magic world.
- Now, follow me.
For Rin, who had grown up scavenging through garbage in the slums without knowing who his parents were or even their voices, that was like the moment the dawn light shone.
It was the first kindness he had ever received since birth. The first luxury he had ever enjoyed… and so he worked hard. He just, worked hard.
Because he didn't want to be abandoned again.
"…"
Remembering his Rin days left only sadness, so he shook his head to clear his thoughts.
He rummaged through his father's study. Soon, he found a thick book titled 『History of Academies』.
He checked the table of contents from the back, but strangely, the name Osarius Academy was nowhere to be found.
"What? Was it disbanded?"
Although it had suffered from financial difficulties, it should have been able to endure somehow… Feeling a strange sense of loss, he flipped through the pages to the front, and his heart almost stopped for a moment.
[Eight Great Academies]
・ Belsedel Academy.
・ Brina Academy.
・ Harimoon Academy.
・ Lohuinum Academy.
・ Melev Academy.
・ Chaihak Academy.
・ Rivendell Academy.
・ Osarius Academy.
If, among the families famous for magic in the Empire, the Five Magic Families, or the Five Great Families, reigned like kings, then among the academies, the Seven Great Academies had held the pinnacle.
'Now it's the Eight Great Academies? Because Osarius rose?'
Among all academies, those at the pinnacle were judged by their contribution to academic development and the production of great individuals, which was one of the factors for promotion to a Great Academy.
Below the Great Academies were sixteen mid-tier academies and countless minor academies, so the prestige of a Great Academy was like that of the heavens.
'Did a series of incredible geniuses emerge while I was gone?'
Letting out a wry laugh, he looked for the page of Osarius Academy.
[Osarius Academy]
・ Origin: Founded by Gladus (4th-tier) mage Osarius in the year 488 of the Tercian Calendar…
…
…
…
・ Promotion to Great Academy: Highly praised for producing the Aquizard (5th-tier) mage Rin, and for the merit of compiling and publishing the mathematical theories Rin established during his lifetime, the promotion to Great Academy was decided at the Magic Alliance's Main Council in the year 1115 of the Tercian Calendar.
He blinked his wide eyes for a long time, then eventually let out a faint smile.
'Yes, I was helpful.'
The path I've walked, the trajectory I've fought along, was helpful to Auntie.
'Was this enough as repayment, Auntie?'
Every morning, as part of what she called "hopeful speaking," she would have the students chant, 'Osarius Academy is an academy that will become a Great Academy.'
- How long do we have to do this foolishness?
- That's right, it's embarrassing, Headmistress.
- Until it becomes true, you good-for-nothings! If you want to stop chanting, then study hard and go make the academy's name widely known!
At that time, Osarius Academy was not an academy that accepted promising students. Most were children who aspired to magic but whose circumstances were not favorable.
It was the Headmistress who took in such children and taught them magic without charge.
So, those words must have just been part of a strategy to encourage us. He hadn't known it then, but now he understood.
'Hmph… I need to pull myself together and work hard so I don't fall behind my academy juniors.'
Books.
I want to read more books.
I want more knowledge.
Befitting a magic family, the Ludwig family library also had quite a lot of books, but it wasn't enough.
Thirst.
An immense thirst for knowledge always kept Rain parched. He finally brought up the topic at dinner.
"Father, I have a request."
"Hmm?"
"Please send me to the Magic Capital. About three years should be enough."
At those words, Kayburn and Brim were startled.
The Magic Capital, <Goldenrose>.
Befitting its name as the capital of magic, it was the city where the leading magic family, the Page Count's stronghold, and the Empire's best magic university, <Delheiten>, were built.
"O-bba, where are you going?"
"Huh."
"No! Nooo!"
Rain pushed away the bothersome Seri clinging to him and looked at his father, who firmly shook his head.
"That's not possible."
"Why not?"
"Firstly, because of your age. You're still ten years old, Rain. It's too early to leave the family."
And in the year he turns sixteen, Rain, as a child of a magic family, will be admitted to <Delheiten>. It won't be too late to head to the Magic Capital then.
"And because you have a more important appointment scheduled."
"A more important appointment?"
Kayburn offered a letter envelope across the dining table. It was a letter sealed with the Ludwig family head's crest.
"It's from my father, your grandfather."
At that, Elin Ludwig, who had been frantically stuffing beef steak into her mouth, was startled and stopped using her fork.
"Father, to you, Brother?"
Scarlge Ludwig.
As one of only ten Gladus (4th-tier) mages existing in modern times… his influence was immense in many ways for Kayburn's couple and Elin.
"And he is also one of only three people in the family who have awakened Bell Querius."
Bell Querius…!
As Rain blinked his surprised eyes, Kayburn nodded with a benevolent smile.
"He sent a reply saying he would personally take charge of your Bell Querius training."
"Bell Querius?"
"Yes. So Rain, you must go there first. Right after this summer ends."