episode_0009

The day after constructing the mana core.

It was still before lunchtime, and Asel went out to Wihaim’s bustling street with Ena. Evelyn was learning the mansion’s duties from Hailey, so she couldn’t come out together. Not interested in magic, she remained at the mansion without any particular expression of regret. Thanks to this, Asel also felt a bit more comfortable. “…….” “Oh, oh…….” Asel walked behind Ena, who was leading the way, and looked around the bustling street. Mana-powered vehicles moved along the cleanly paved roads. A means of transportation that moved using only mana as power, without carriages. All the passenger had to do was control the direction and speed, making it easy to use even without learning how to ride a horse. It’s a common mode of transport in Wihaim, where magical studies have developed. Golems also bustled around the streets. Their forms varied, from ordinary stones to those made of elements like flame and water. Most of them were transporting supplies needed for magic or research. Although not very fast, considering the number and weight of the items they were carrying, they were clearly excellent carriers. Humans couldn’t do that. Unless they were someone who had awakened Aura, but that’s another story. ‘Someone like that wouldn’t be working in the transportation business, would they?’ Asel thought that and let out a chuckle. Just then, Ena turned back to him and opened her mouth. “Disciple, do you remember why we came out today?” “Ah, yes. I remember.” Asel nodded and replied. Yesterday, the day the core was constructed. After dinner, Ena called Asel aside and told him in advance that they would go out together the next day. There were a total of two objectives. One was to get his membership card for the Witch Society issued, and the other was to find out his mana affinity. Both were things that aroused considerable interest in Asel. Among them, Asel was more deeply interested in mana affinity. He understood that the Witch Society was a formidable group. He had read a book about the Witch Society yesterday, after all. He had already firmly imprinted in his mind how deep its history was and how many achievements and great figures it had produced. He also understood that belonging to such a place was an honorable thing. But that was all. He understood it with his head, but his heart was calm. Perhaps it was because he had only just dipped his toe into the society of mages, but his heart didn’t pound like that even when he heard he would become a member of the Witch Society. Maybe it was because he had only superficially grasped it with shallow knowledge. On the other hand, the mana affinity test made his heart swell just by hearing about it. ‘All existing magic is greatly influenced by the caster’s affinity.’ Elementalist magic, which is the most widely known, magic that treads the path of heterodoxy, including corpse magic and black magic. And various unique types of magic, including lightning magic. None of these types of magic can be learned just because one wants to. The magic that can be learned changes depending on which type of magic the caster has a strong affinity for. For example, if mana has a good affinity with flame, fire magic is easy to learn, and if it matches well with water, aquamancy is easy to learn. The power and efficiency of the magic are also quite excellent. It’s not that one cannot learn magic of other types at all. However, the limit of achievement one can gain is clear, and the rank one can accumulate is significantly lowered. Thus, most mages tend to learn magic of the type that suits their mana’s nature well. However, unique types of magic are a bit different. This peculiar magic type is influenced by various factors, such as the individual’s mental image, talent, and environment, as well as the nature of mana. The lightning magic Ena learned is also the same. ‘What would I be?’ He hoped it would be something like lightning, if possible. Asel thought that as he moved his steps. “First, let’s stop by the Witch Society, eat lunch, and then go get the affinity test. Alright?” “Yes. You can do whatever is convenient for you, Master.” “Then let’s do that. Is there anything you want to eat?” “As long as it’s not moldy trash.” “……I’ll choose myself.” Ena looked at Asel with a sympathetic gaze and stroked his head. Asel realized he had made a slip of the tongue and gave a bitter smile. He should have just talked about any random food. He made her feel bad for nothing. “Let’s just have steak. I know a good place.” “Yes. That’s fine.” They continued walking while chatting casually. Not long after, the two arrived in front of a colossal building. A building shaped such that it extended more horizontally than vertically. Countless windows were clustered tightly on the building’s exterior wall, and a lightning rod was embedded on the pointed roof. On the main entrance sat a black cat. Unlike an ordinary cat, it was wearing a witch’s hat designed for cats on its head. In its yellow eyes, an indelible deep wisdom was evident. The cat was licking its paws to wash its face when it spotted Ena approaching and cast a glance. Then, it smiled broadly and straightened its body. “Ena!” Human words popped out of the cat’s mouth. At the unbelievable sight, Asel’s eyes widened, and Ena opened her mouth without any particular expression, as if accustomed to it. “It’s been a while, Bell. How have you been?” “I’ve been well, of course. What about you? You went to catch that bastard Zerbil, didn’t you? Did you catch him?” “Unfortunately, I missed him.” “Bullshit!” The cat called Bell opened its mouth as if hissing and leaped into Ena’s arms. Ena skillfully received her. “You missed that bastard? Someone like you could kill him with just a flick of your finger, couldn’t you?” “He was hiding in the kingdom’s slums, so I couldn’t just unleash magic recklessly. He also took hostages.” “Ha! So he was hiding in a place like that on purpose. Damn bastard. I knew it when he was walking around reeking of corpses. Taking hostages is exactly the kind of thing that bastard would do. He’s not even a street thug, what’s a noble mage doing?” Bell, clicking her tongue, climbed onto Ena’s shoulder. Ena lightly stroked her back and turned her head towards Asel. At that blue gaze, Asel, who had been staring at Bell with a dazed expression, came to his senses and approached her. “I’m sorry. I was a little surprised for a moment…” “It’s alright. Everyone’s like that the first time they see Bell.” “Am I some kind of monster? Why are you treating me like that?” Bell complained at Ena’s words, lightly biting her shoulder. Then, she looked at Asel and opened her eyes sharply. “So who is this milky-smelling kid? Why are you taking him around?” “Haven’t you heard the rumors?” “What rumors? That’s your self-consciousness going overboard.” “Hmm, really?” Ena let the squirming Bell be, and looked down at Asel, staying silent for a moment. Then, she chuckled and lightly stroked his hair, saying: “He’s my disciple.” “?” Bell’s expression twisted strangely upon hearing Ena’s words. Ena raised the corner of her mouth slightly and said once more. “This is my disciple, Asel. Say hello, Asel. This is Bell, a Transmutation Sorcerer belonging to the Witch Society.” “Ah, hello. Bell-nim. I am Asel.” Asel politely greeted the cat with a dazed expression. Bell looked down at the top of Asel’s head, then suddenly struggled and got out of Ena’s arms. Ena obediently let her go. “Meow!” Landing on the ground, she made a meowing sound and stiffly raised her tail upwards. Asel realized that action was a form of incantation. The wave of mana that started from Bell’s tail soon enveloped her entire body. With a cracking sound, the cat’s body instantly returned to human form. She was shorter than Ena. She had shoulder-length purple bobbed hair. She was a girl with sharp, cat-like eyes and trembling golden pupils within them, leaving a strong impression. She looked at Asel, opening her mouth in surprise, then immediately turned her body and ran into the Witch Society building. Shouting as she did so. “The mage who’s crazy about lightning has brought a successor! The sky is going to tear again! Kyaaaaaak!!” “Still noisy, isn’t she.” Ena looked at Bell’s retreating back as she ran, and let out a chuckle. “Let’s go, Asel.” “……Yes.” Asel replied with a wry expression. Ena, who lightly tapped his forehead with a finger, slowly began walking into the building. Asel followed behind her. Upon entering the building, a strong scent of books and wood lingered at the tip of their noses. Amidst that, the smell of women’s perfume and various reagents permeated. He hadn’t noticed it before passing the door, but he felt it immediately after passing it. It seemed designed to prevent what was happening inside from being noticed outside. ‘Is it barrier magic? I didn’t feel any mana at all…’ Asel frowned and turned his head in all directions. Upon entering the building, a strong lingering scent of mana could be felt. Even the air they breathed contained a thick mana, and the floor, walls, and ceiling were all plastered with magic and mana. These were things they hadn’t felt at all outside. It was a wondrous thing for Asel, who was sensitive to mana and magic. “The external and internal spaces are disconnected, but I don’t feel any traces of magic. It seems they used a different type of spellcasting than magic.” “You noticed.” Ena said, looking at Asel with a surprised expression. “When this building was first built, we invited a sorcerer from outside. That person separated the space at the request of the elders. I heard it was a delicate task that required focusing solely on the sorcery for a month.” “It seems you weren’t here.” “Yeah. I’m often out.” Asel nodded and raised his gaze upwards. When Asel extended his hand, one of the books flying in mid-air settled precisely onto it. It was a book titled . Asel slowly read the book and opened his mouth. “Even if it’s sorcery, spells that handle space are known to be rare, so it seems he was a sorcerer of quite a high level.” “Because he was a sorcerer who had accumulated the 7th rank. And he was old. He must have learned at least one space sorcery spell.” “Does even someone like that have to spend a month casting the spell?” [This book is a revised edition of Ignis Magic Tower’s fire magic, adjusted into a form similar to the unique magic handled by the Witch Society, and is greatly different from general elemental magic.] “That’s mostly the case for spells that handle space. Not only for sorcerers, but for warriors too.” “What about time?” “Time is more tricky. There probably isn’t a living Time Sorcerer currently.” [The fire magic covered in this book can comprehensively use external mana and magical power, physical flame, embers, and the flame spread by the caster, without relying solely on wood and embers in the core. As such, a very high level of mana control, suppression, affinity, and flexible mana circuits are required. If any of these are insufficient, it is recommended to quickly give up.] “More than that, how far are we going in? It feels like we’ve walked quite a bit…” “Just a little further.” [The following is basic fire magic. If you can use this magic smoothly, you may proceed to the next magic and the magic concepts covered in this book. If magic manifestation is impossible or difficult, close the book and go back to sleep.] “I don’t see many people on the way.” “Most are either on business trips or holed up in their own research labs and don’t come out. To begin with, not many people come to the Witch Society building… What are you doing?” “Huh?” Asel asked back. Ena, with a serious face, pointed at Asel’s hand and spoke. “That… what is that?” “You mean this? It’s a book titled Witch Society Fire Magic Revised Edition. It accidentally came into my hand, so I read it.” “Not that. The one in your other hand.” “Ah, you mean this one?” Asel raised the hand that wasn’t holding the book with a nonchalant expression. Above his palm, a red flame was dancing. A spark that consumed not only the caster’s mana but also the circulating external mana and magical power, burning it as fuel. “It’s a spell called Scorching Flame (灼炎). It was in the book, so I tried using it.” “……How?” “Uh, um……” Asel hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and answered in a small voice. “……Just? It just worked when I tried.” Ena was speechless.