Episode 402. American Dream (4)

Arthur, standing in front of me, spoke with a confident smile.

“Originally, even the most talented mage is bound to miss something.”

“Yes.”

“Even your teacher, the genius mage Im Sol, had weaknesses. I specialize in that sort of thing.”

“Mister. Stop saying weird things and let’s start sparring already.”

“Okay, okay. I got it.”

“Please take care of me.”

Arthur before my eyes revealed his mana without hiding it.

Although his aura was weaker than mine, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the confidence and spirit that came from his experience.

‘His aura isn’t falling behind even with such a difference in mana?’

There’s something that can’t be measured by sheer power alone.

So this is the current president of the Wizard Association.

Gulp.

For now, let’s start with a probing match.

I swallowed and drew a magic circle.

And about 10 minutes later.

“Kuaaaak….”

“Mister! Mister!”

“….”

I blinked, looking at Arthur collapsed in front of me.

Professor Im Sol, who was watching from the side, approached Arthur to check his condition, and I thought, looking at the two of them.

‘This old man is totally trash.’

Since he seemed to be holding back so much during the probing match, I cast my magic a bit stronger wanting to see his true power, and he collapsed immediately.

I never imagined he wasn’t holding back, but was actually just weak.

Isn’t this guy the president of the association? Why is he so weak.

“Hoyeon-ah. If you felt the old man’s mana, you should have controlled your strength.”

“No, but he’s the president… Yes. I apologize.”

Honestly, I felt wronged, but seeing Arthur groaning and collapsed made me feel like I had done something wrong, so I just apologized.

There’s also the concept of respecting elders, I should have been a bit more considerate.

“Kkeu-eueu… It’s fine. It’s fine. Sol-ah.”

Arthur twisted his body while picking up the dark red diamonds scattered around him.

That magic was something I’d never seen before, and until it appeared, I thought he had some incredible hidden moves up his sleeve.

I never expected he couldn’t even defend against my Spiral for a second.

“Hoo. It’s tough moving my body after so long.”

“Mr. President. Are you alright? I apologize.”

I bowed my head deeply.

I still don’t know what I did wrong, but I figured I should bow given the situation.

“No, no. I just got excited after so long… Kkeung. Still, I’ve roughly figured things out.”

“Oh… Were there any problems?”

Although I was disappointed with Arthur’s combat ability, I still had hope for his analytical skills.

Professor also said he taught me.

He might point out issues with combat styles that I’m unaware of.

“No. You’re too perfect.”

“… What?”

However, what came out of Arthur’s mouth was the opposite of what I expected.

“Sol had high mana purity, but her mana distribution in spells was lacking. And she had a habit of unconsciously using high-tier magic. Perhaps her excessive pride was the cause.”

“Hmm… Yes.”

“But you are perfect. Mana distribution, the types of magic used, reaction speed, mana quality, and furthermore, like Sol, you’re a user of all attributes… Truly, there’s nothing lacking. You can be considered a key figure to lead the next generation.”

“….”

I quietly listened to Arthur’s words.

Perhaps it was only natural.

Because I’m assisted by [Combat Sense].

It makes perfect choices in combat.

“In other words, what you need is time. Perhaps in 10 years, you’ll be able to catch up to Sol.”

“10 years?”

“You’re a monster, but your teacher is also a monster. It’ll probably take about that long.”

“Hoo…”

I sighed with disappointment and smacked my lips.

10 years is way too late.

‘If it’s going to be like this, I wouldn’t have come to learn.’

What is this guy talking nonsense after collapsing in just 10 minutes?

It took me 20 minutes just to walk here.

Isn’t this guy a total weird old man?

“You look like you have some complaints?”

Seeing Arthur staring intently at me, I managed my expression.

And then I continued speaking.

“It’s not a complaint… I’m just disappointed. 10 years is too long.”

“I thought I was giving you tremendous praise. Besides, Sol is a strong mage, so her beauty will remain even after 10 years. I can guarantee that.”

“… That’s not the issue.”

I shook my head, looking at Arthur’s hearty laugh.

10 years is more than enough time for the story to end.

I have to defeat the Demon King, so what’s the point of getting stronger so slowly?

“You seem quite disappointed.”

“A little, yes.”

I tried to control my expression, but it seems my feelings showed on my face without me realizing it.

But what could I do?

After hinting at an amazing solution, telling me to wait 10 years is bound to be deflating.

Arthur stared intently at my face before continuing.

“Young man. Do you know magical theory well?”

“Theory? I know quite a bit, still.”

Believe it or not, I’m the top student in theory at Victoria Academy.

It’s safe to say I’m well-versed in most magical theories.

“Surprisingly, there are mages who don’t prioritize theory. Did you know that? Even if the same person channels the same mana and draws the same magic circle, the effect of the magic differs day by day.”

“Of course, I know that. I’m a mage, aren’t I?”

This is a phenomenon that anyone who has cast magic would know.

“Right. It’s a phenomenon every mage knows, but not a single person has yet discovered the reason why. Most just assume it’s their condition that day.”

“….”

‘This is an explanation of the core formation.’

I glanced at Professor Im Sol.

The topic we’re presenting this time is essentially an explanation of that phenomenon.

Seeing the Professor smiling faintly, it seems she hadn’t told the association president yet.

Unaware of our thoughts, the association president continued talking enthusiastically.

“However, there’s intuition. After working as a mage for a long time, one tends to find the magic category they can use well, regardless of whether their condition is good or bad. And if they advance further, they can create their own magic. Usually, reaching this level requires about 10 years of experience.”

Arthur summoned the dark red diamonds orbiting his body.

It was the same magic I saw during our spar just now.

“That’s called a Unique Magic. Or Arcane Magic. In my case, this Rune Tracer is my Unique Magic. They track the opponent’s mana and attack on their own.”

“Unique Magic… It’s similar to Unique Skills, isn’t it?”

“Right. However, while Unique Skills cannot be used by others, Unique Magic can be shared with others via magic circles. That’s why it’s easier to develop further.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Is this old man just spouting nonsense because he lost?

As I gave him a slightly suspicious look, Arthur immediately continued.

“If you truly want to defeat Sol, create a Unique Magic.”

“Didn’t you just say it requires over 10 years of experience?”

“That would be true for an ordinary mage. But monsters like you and Sol are different. In fact, Sol is already using a Unique Magic.”

“Are you talking about that huge magic circle?”

“Yes. The one you saw.”

“Hmm…”

I pondered Arthur’s words.

He says I need Unique Magic…

‘Isn’t what I have already enough?’

Spiral. Blood Beat. Arc.

Even the acceleration mimicking Nam Daeun’s traits or the Rune Barrier.

I’ve created more than one or two skills myself.

“Can’t these work?”

Totororo-

I summoned Arc onto my palm.

During the spar, Arthur collapsed the moment I summoned Arc, so I couldn’t use it properly, but he must have grasped what kind of skill it was since he saw me use it for magic.

“That’s not bad either. No, actually, it’s amazing. Creating such a Unique Skill at the age of 20 is an encouraging achievement.”

“Thank you.”

“If your goal wasn’t Sol, I wouldn’t have said anything. I might have inadvertently led a perfect budding talent astray. But the moment you set Sol as your goal, something special becomes necessary.”

“Something special?”

“In a mage’s battle, three things are important: the power of mana, the speed of mana, and numerical superiority. Even if you use Arc to dominate in numbers, if you fall behind in mana power and speed, there’s no way. That’s why other methods are needed. Find a way to overcome Sol’s overwhelming mana. Among them, the fastest method is Unique Magic.”

“Oh…”

I nodded in considerable admiration.

Listening to him, there wasn’t a single word that was wrong.

This guy teaches pretty well?

‘He doesn’t seem to have gotten the position of association president for free.’

He’s got a good way with words.

There’s an addictive quality to his speech that draws you in.

“The timing is also good. Referring to this association’s presentations might be helpful. There are many peculiar individuals in the association. As far as I know, Douglas developed magic that unleashes power beyond a volcanic eruption… and Aiden was scheduled to present magic that seizes space to establish his own domain. And…”

“Wait a moment. Who?”

I didn’t miss the name that suddenly came up.

Aiden.

Surely the name of that annoying guy I met yesterday was Aiden.

“Huh? Are you talking about Douglas? If it’s Douglas, I can introduce you. He has a bushy beard, but he’s kinder than he looks…”

“No. The next one. Are you talking about Aiden, the candidate for the next association president, Aiden?”

“You know Aiden?”

“I met him yesterday. Could you explain the magic he’s presenting?”

“Aiden’s magic? I don’t know the specifics either. I’ve only heard fragments.”

“That would be fine. Hmm, perhaps we should sit down somewhere to talk?”

We left the training ground and entered a nearby cafe.

If I had known this would happen, I should have booked a cafe from the start.

“Nom nom.”

“Professor, is the chocolate latte here good?”

“It’s not bad. Sweet enough.”

I sat next to Professor Im Sol, watching her drink her chocolate latte, and Arthur, who followed behind me, sat opposite me.

Arthur asked, sipping his coffee.

“Why are you curious about Aiden? If you met him yesterday, you probably wouldn’t be that curious.”

“… I have a bad feeling about him. Mr. President, what’s your relationship with Aiden?”

“That guy is a candidate for the next association president. Although there’s still quite some time until my retirement, if I step down as president, his election as the next president is almost certain.”

“He didn’t seem like someone accomplished enough to be president?”

“That’s right. He’s quite skilled, but… not quite enough for the president’s seat. But that’s how politics works. Even at my age, I still don’t understand politics.”

Arthur shrugged and laughed.

It’s funny that the association president says that.

“If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me about your relationship with Aiden?”

“If I had to say, we’re political rivals. That guy prioritizes connections over merit. We have different factions of mages supporting us.”

“Political rivals…”

I organized my thoughts.

Actually, I’d had a thought about Professor Im Sol for a while.

Professor Im Sol is truly a powerful mage.

She became stronger after meeting me, but even before that, she was one of the world’s top powerhouses.

This is an undeniable fact.

However, having played the original game, I always had a question whenever I saw Professor Im Sol’s strength.

‘How on earth does someone this strong die?’

In the original game’s bad endings, there’s definitely a route where Im Sol dies.

If it’s an ending where the Demon King isn’t stopped, I can understand.

Because the world itself is destroyed.

But there was also a route where she died before the Demon King even appeared.

Back then, I just thought ‘Oh, I see.’ without much thought, but now that I think about it, it’s strange.

That’s also why I’m observing Aiden, whom I met in America, so carefully.

Considering when that guy showed his true colors, it’s safe to say he doesn’t have any affection for Professor Im Sol.

If that’s the case, why is the person who’s supposed to be the next association president approaching Im Sol?

‘It’s not Professor’s magic.’

At first, I thought it was magic, but the more I think about it, the stranger it seems.

The association has many people who are wary of Professor Im Sol’s strength. Especially the connection-based mages who support Aiden.

If Aiden becomes the association president, he should move towards excluding the Professor rather than accepting her.

That’s the mindset of connection-based mages.

Especially, in Aiden’s eyes, Im Sol must be a thorn in his side.

Because she’s a strong supporter of his rival, Arthur, and a mage stronger than him.

‘That’s enough for now.’

I lacked information about Aiden to deduce further.

I quietly looked at Professor Im Sol beside me.

The Professor seemed uninterested in Arthur’s story and was yawning slightly, but turned her head when our eyes met.

“… I heard everything.”

“Yes. I know.”

Professor’s reaction made me smile unconsciously.

However, the unease in a corner of my heart didn’t disappear.

This time, I must protect her.

I can’t just keep receiving care forever.

‘Let’s just consider the possibility that it’s that bastard.’

I have suspicions, but no proof.

Still, it’s enough to keep in the back of my mind.

I composed my expression and looked at Arthur.

“First, please explain the magic Aiden is scheduled to present.”