Book 1 Chapter 6
Episode 5
As the long summer ended, the autumn sky spread out clear and bright, and the world was tinged with the colors of autumn leaves.
The rattling vibrations of the carriage gifted a languid drowsiness to his body.
Outside the window, the deep fragrance of a tulip field stretched out in vibrant colors to the horizon. It was already autumn in the world.
"You must act politely, Rain."
"I know. It's to meet Grandpa, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry. If I had been more capable, I wouldn't have had to bring you to a place like this."
"It's enough that you know."
"……?"
"……?"
"Oh, that's right. Yes."
The boy was startled to see Kaybern smile awkwardly.
Shouldn't I have answered like that?
The boy spun his extraordinary brain at ultra-high speed, sifting through his memories with Rista. How would Rista have answered in this situation?
'I don't know……'
Now, due to the surging drowsiness, his head couldn't spin quickly.
He might possess the intellect of a great wizard, but he was only eleven years old.
He couldn't overcome the physiological reactions of his young body.
"You must be tired. Rest comfortably on the way. It's a five-day journey."
In the Holy Human Empire, there are five Elector families in each region, and five Magical Houses, each serving them.
The Warden Margrave family of the East.
The Kepel Margrave family of the West.
The Blado Margrave family of the North.
The Page Margrave family of the South.
And the Ludwig Margrave family, to which the boy belongs, serves the Elector of the Central region, Duke Sion, where resources are most abundant.
The Elector's granting of positions to outstanding court wizards marked the beginning of the Magical Houses, and among the Count families, only the Magical Houses used the title of Margrave.
The Page Margrave family, the leading Magical House, is an exception, but let's explain that later.
The carriage crossed Cyastulica, the territory of the Ludwig family, and finally arrived at the Duke's city, <Rainbow Garden>.
"Wow……"
It was truly a beautiful city.
All seven districts of the city were divided into the colors of the rainbow, each radiating its own light under the autumn sun.
For example, the district with the Duke's fortress was purple, and the district where the education zone was formed was indigo.
Kaybern took the boy into the <Libarden> Magic Academy, where his father was assigned. His father was in the middle of a lecture.
"How is it? Do you want to take a class too?"
"I prefer the lessons I get from Father."
A pure answer, devoid of any ulterior motives, the son's reply as he was already concentrating on the lecture.
This boy…
Kaybern felt his heart swell with emotion at that answer.
"Are there any students with questions?"
Rain raised his hand at the question thrown by his grandfather, Skalji Ludwig, as he put down the chalk. Kaybern tried to stop him, but Skalji spoke first.
"What is it?"
"I'm curious why runes are written as 'gu' (區). If they were used as 'ja' (刺), the mathematical formulas could be used more simply, and their power could be increased. Besides 'ja' (刺), there is also 'go' (睾)."
Then surprise spread across Skalji's face, and the students attending the lecture also had to stare blankly at the boy.
"That's amazing. That was supposed to be taught in the advanced section, 'Application of Runes and Abbreviation of Mathematical Formulas'."
"……?"
"……?"
"……?"
"My family has come to visit, so today's lecture will end here. The assistant should organize the lecture content, and the rest of you, follow me."
'The rest of you' referred to the boy and Kaybern. As the father and son followed him into the hallway, Skalji glared at Kaybern.
"Are you still doing that?"
"If I had my way, I'd throw a fit right now, but I'm holding back for the sake of this clever grandson's face."
"It's Brim who gave birth to this clever grandson, Father."
Skalji was an old man with a strong impression and a straight back despite his age.
The prestige of a proud wizard lived within his entire body, and the mana he unconsciously emitted was quite welcome to the boy.
After all, Skalji was one of only ten wizards of Gladoss (4-star) rank in the empire.
"Well, how is it that you're smarter than your incompetent father, and even appear polite? I like it. You may go now. Didn't His Highness the Duke want to see you anyway?"
Why, at that moment? Why did he intervene in such an ordinary conversation?
"Father isn't incompetent. He's a good father and a good teacher."
Was it because of a memory that surfaced on the first day of the carriage ride, when his father smiled awkwardly?
- Lord Rista, why are you taking such a young and immature child?
- Besides that child, there are six other skilled wizards of Gladoss (4-star) rank.
- That's right. Isn't he lacking in cooperation and too arrogant?
These were familiar gazes and remarks.
To the orphaned boy who had lived his entire life under envious gazes… At that time, Rista Alter Surpein smiled faintly and stood in front of those gazes, blocking them.
- Lin is the best wizard. He's not immature, nor is he lacking in cooperation.
- ……?
- He just doesn't know yet. He can learn from now on.
That voice, which had spoken to him then, still remained deep in his memory. The desire to do the same for someone someday.
"……"
"……"
Kaybern felt his eyes well up and a heavy ache pierce a spot in his chest.
Skalji turned to the boy, met his firm gaze for a long time, then suddenly smiled faintly.
"Don't you think I know that? He's my son, prouder than anything in the world."
"Father…?"
"You scoundrel, I told you to go since you're not needed, didn't I?"
"……I understand."
"But don't sneak back to the mansion. After checking Rain's aptitude, let's have a drink together for old times' sake."
"……!"
"Now, you come with me."
Towards Skalji's back, who was walking down the hallway holding Rain's hand, Kaybern bowed deeply.
A smile shone in the grandfather's eyes, and tears streamed down the father's face.
The boy thought.
Is this also a gift from Rista? If he hadn't met her, would he even have thought of such a thing?
- You can do well. Lin is a kind child.
The boy, outstanding in his abilities as a great wizard but lacking in disposition, took another step towards becoming a sage today.
* * *
"So, how did you come to know about the combination of runes and the rearrangement of mathematical formulas?"
Skalji's professor's office was modest.
Only necessary furniture was placed, and all documents were neatly organized.
'He's really different from me.'
Because Lin's past research lab and Rain's current room were routinely cluttered with books and documents… the boy replied.
"I read a lot of books."
"A lot?"
"Very, very much."
"Hahahahaha!"
He was at a loss for how to explain it, but Skalji, instead, laughed heartily and ruffled the boy's hair until it was a mess.
"Actually, I didn't even need to ask. How much your father boasted about you… He's already mastered the theory of 3-star magic, hasn't he?"
"Yes, Grandpa."
I can't say it, but I've actually mastered up to 5-star.
"And I heard you came to me to awaken the Bell Querius."
Bell Querius.
In the language of the gods, the absolute magic eye meaning 'piercing perception.' Skalji was one of the awakened ones who proudly carved his name into the family's history.
"How much mana do you have now?"
"Enough to barely perform high-speed calculations for one 3-star magic, Grandpa."
"You can perform high-speed calculations for 3-star magic?"
Skalji's eyes widened.
Perhaps the concept of 'high-speed calculation' as wizards call it needs to be explained.
Drawing a magic circle somewhere and filling it with runes and mathematical formulas to activate magic is not called 'high-speed calculation.'
When all those processes are done by mental arithmetic (暗算) rather than written calculation (筆算), it is called high-speed calculation.
For 4-star wizards, promotion occurs when they can calculate more than twenty-four spells of that rank, but to reach the rank of a 5-star wizard, that is, a great wizard, one must be able to 'high-speed calculate' seven 5-star spells.
"This is amazing. No, it's startling. It's surprising enough that an eleven-year-old can use 3-star magic, but high-speed calculation… Has there been a precedent?"
Strictly speaking, there was. The Archwizard Lin achieved 3-star at eleven and 4-star magic at thirteen.
It was an infinitely higher level compared to other great wizards.
"Then go ahead and try it."
"Here?"
"Yes, here."
"The room will be destroyed, though."
"It's fine."
"Everything will be messed up by the wind pressure, though."
"It's fine. Because I'll erase it before that happens."
Skalji showed a mysterious smile.
Erase it…?
The boy, though flustered, spread his palm. Ultra-precise formulas were instantly calculated in his mind, altering the world's principles.
'The form of the magic circle is three fan shapes. The runes to be carved individually are Yu (兪), Ju (駐), Je (制).'
To explain, it was imbuing three properties into wind-attribute magic.
A cold thread seemed to pierce his veins, causing a chill, and the currents of magic swirled, making all the furniture in the room creak.
"Hoo… it was true."
The moment Skalji muttered that, an eerie chill ran through his entire body, making his hair stand on end and cold sweat break out.
Huh…?
What is this?
It disappeared, the magic disappeared, the entire magic circle… I didn't even activate it, and I didn't stop it either?
"Don't be flustered. Didn't I say I would erase it?"
The boy, who had raised his gaze blankly, felt fear once again.
Crimson glowing eyes.
The silvery-white heptagram carved within them.
Facing eyes that pierced through everything in this world, and its conditions for existence, even the intellect of a great wizard felt primal fear.
"This is Bell Querius. You can control all visible extraordinary abilities at will."
But the fear soon turned to thrill, and the thrill turned to elation.
Why wouldn't it?
That infinite power would soon be his, and the boy let out a cheer, unlike a great wizard.
"Woah, woah!"
"Hahahahaha! Do you want to try it too?"
"Yes!"
The heptagram scattered from Skalji's eyes, and the burning light in his eyes subsided. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Of course, it's not invincible. The caster must also perfectly understand that magic to release or modify it."
"Still, it's so cool!"
"And it requires an enormous amount of mana, more than it seems. For you, who shows signs of mana exhaustion with just one 3-star magic, there's still a long way to go."
Many descendants of Ludwig feel a wall here and become frustrated. They judge they cannot overcome the wall and give up.
"It's just far, right?"
"Hmm?"
"Far doesn't mean I can't go, does it?"
But the boy was different.
Every inquiry was a joy to the boy, and the pleasure of overcoming that wall of knowledge was inexpressible.
"So please teach me how to walk that path, Grandpa."
The moment the boy answered boldly, Skalji's mouth almost stretched to his ears.
"My training will be very arduous."
"Education should be like that, of course."
"Hahahahahaha! You truly are my blood! Brim, I must thank that child. To have given birth to such a brilliant child!"
As the saying goes, even a hedgehog finds its own young beautiful; he thought his son's words were an exaggerated boast.
But it was a misjudgment.
This was a jewel. Not just a simple jewel, but one that might shed new light on the stagnant imperial magic…