episode_0029

Several weeks had passed since Asel returned to Wiheim. During that period, he spent his time on research, such as improving the magic stolen from scrolls, using it directly, or revising it into magic that produced entirely different effects.

There were results. He succeeded in creating several magic formulas that required continuous observation, like Brain Thunder Resonance, which Asel created himself. However, much was still lacking for practical use. It wasn’t impossible if he forced it, but there was no reason to use those spells when other magic was available.

‘Still, considering I’m going through trial and error, it’s not bad.’

Asel propped his chin, generating a small lightning streak above his hand. The tall, slender lightning drew all sorts of geometric patterns in the air, following his will. He operated his mana like solving a cube and looked at the two letters carelessly tossed on his desk.

One was from the academy. It was a letter stating that the admission ceremony date had been set and which dormitory he had been assigned to.

Luminus Academy uniquely held its admission ceremony in the form of a banquet. It was intended for new students as well as current students to participate in the banquet hall built at the academy to socialize and build connections with them. It wasn’t bad, but it was true that it felt a bit reluctant for Asel, who preferred a quiet atmosphere.

Still, I’m not the type who can’t enjoy going to such places, so it didn’t bother me much.

The problem was the attention and interest he would receive as Ena’s disciple once his academy admission was confirmed, but this was a problem that time would solve. Those who picked fights just needed to be thoroughly crushed, and he would treat those who saw him favorably well. He wouldn’t step forward unless provoked first.

‘Is the dormitory Wiesel?’

The academy dormitories were named after heroes who had greatly contributed to the empire. Wiesel was where students with top-tier grades stayed. It seemed his duel with Fernand wasn’t meaningless.

“Hmm.”

Asel leaned back on the chair back and looked at the other remaining letter.

A letter with a large Witch Council seal stamped on the wrapper. There was no need to check; it was sent by the Witch Council. The content was related to the coming-of-age ceremony.

He had held a party at the mansion to celebrate becoming an adult. However, that wasn’t an officially held event but merely a simple banquet. There was a separate coming-of-age ceremony held by the Witch Council.

An event held just before spring every year. Last year, a total of two wizards underwent the coming-of-age ceremony, but this year it was just Asel alone. Since the number of young wizards in the Witch Council wasn’t very large to begin with, the protagonists of the event were bound to be few.

‘Is it the day after tomorrow?’

He didn’t have much time until the event started. Since it was a simple celebratory banquet, there wasn’t much to prepare, but he thought he should at least have suitable formal attire to wear. All the clothes he owned were high-quality, but few were clean enough to wear to a party.

It seemed best to move right away while it was on his mind. Asel put on the coat he had carelessly tossed aside, told Hailey he was going out for a bit, and came out onto the street. He received quite a lot of allowance from Ena every week, so there was no lack when it came to buying clothes. He visited a store he usually frequented, bought a suitable formal attire, and returned.

*

The day of the coming-of-age ceremony dawned. Since the event started in the afternoon, there was some free time in the morning. However, he couldn’t roam around as he pleased; he was caught by all sorts of maids in the banquet hall where the event was held and had to have powder applied to his face.

Maids hired by the Witch Council. As they oversaw the banquet, their duties were very diverse. Among them was the task of decorating the protagonist of the banquet. Perhaps because of that, their touch was very delicate and careful. It was like handling a finely crafted jewel.

It was something to be thankful for, but it was also true that Asel was uncomfortable. He had lived his whole life without putting anything on his face, and suddenly applying something thickly like this felt not just stuffy but suffocating.

“Do I have to do this much?”

“That’s obvious! If the protagonist of the event goes out just as they are, it’s the same as expressing with their whole body that they don’t want to participate in the event.”

Since she said that, Asel couldn’t help it. He sighed deeply and waited patiently until the makeup was finished.

Fortunately, the maids released Asel after about an hour.

They couldn’t hide their admiration for the work they had created themselves.

“Wow…”

“Since the base is good, even a rough coat makes it pop.”

Asel bowed slightly towards the maids who were standing in place, moving their eyes as if appraising, then left the dressing room. A brightly sparkling corridor welcomed him, and Asel moved his steps towards his waiting room.

“Oh, it’s Asel.”

On the way, he met Belle, who had turned into a cat. She was purring while sitting on the window, and feeling Asel’s presence, she slowly opened one eye. Asel bowed his head towards her.

“Hello.”

“Okay, okay. Since we met, come here and pet me a bit.”

Belle said, raising her backside. Asel smiled wryly and lightly tapped her backside.

When she was in human form, she would tightly cover her whole body, but when she turned into a cat or dog like this, she enjoyed skinship as if she were a different person. Is it because her senses change, or because her way of thinking also changes like an animal? He had never used transformation magic, so he didn’t know.

“Purrr…”

As Belle had her head and backside scratched simultaneously by Asel, she made a pleasant sound and went limp.

“What were you doing here?”

“Just sleeping. Got to save up energy before the coming-of-age ceremony starts.”

“Couldn’t you sleep in your room?”

“Sleeping in the sun as a cat feels better.”

Belle lightly batted Asel’s hand with her paw, then stretched and spoke. She let out a yawn and turned back to Asel, smiling faintly.

“More importantly, Asel, did you see Ena?”

“…? No, I haven’t seen her yet.”

It is a tradition for the teacher to attend the Witch Council’s coming-of-age ceremony together. Thus, Ena also arrived at the banquet hall early like Asel and was receiving makeup from the maids. Asel had little to apply and short hair easy to set, but Ena was not. As a woman, the makeup time was longer, and her long hair also needed careful styling.

So the overall time required was bound to be longer than Asel’s. Thanks to that, he hadn’t properly seen Ena’s face since arriving at the hall.

“So that’s how it is…”

Belle grinned at Asel’s answer and leapt onto his shoulder. Then she whispered into his ear.

“Don’t fall for her when you see her. And absolutely do not look at the mole.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Just advice.”

Belle giggled and jumped down to the floor. Asel stared at her with an absurd expression as she meowed and moved away, then shook his head and entered the waiting room.

In the waiting room, a moderately sized bed and sofa were placed sparsely. It was likely prepared for him to take a short nap or read a book before the coming-of-age ceremony started. Since he wasn’t particularly tired, he plopped down onto the sofa and checked the clock.

10 AM. About 2 hours left until the banquet started. Asel pondered what to do during that short time and decided to just think about magic appropriately. To summarize the results obtained from repeated research recently, he closed his eyes and thought about magic formulas and mana.

Several magic formulas stolen from the scroll shop. The number of those that could be used immediately was considerable, but Asel wasn’t satisfied with that. His goal was to revise the stolen formulas and recreate them as lightning or fire magic formulas.

What he prioritized as number 1 was the task of combining interception magic formulas with lightning magic formulas, which were full of attack magic, to create remote defense magic. But this was an achievement that could only be gained by studying further about magic autonomy and mana distribution, so it was difficult to expect significant results immediately. Thus, apart from what he considered most important, he was still steadily taking steps.

So he started researching the second priority first. Among the magic formulas inscribed on the scrolls, a formula Asel hadn’t used yet. Not a special magic, but a magic that the Witch Council didn’t specifically handle due to the peculiarity of its circuit.

“Ice.”

Crackle!!

Simultaneously with his utterance, an ice pick bloomed on Asel’s hand. The ice, dripping with cold, rotated and scattered ice shards around.

Sub-magic of the Ice Element magic formula.

Ice.

Magic that generates ice.

Asel succeeded in slightly adjusting the formula and shaping it into the form of a pick. He had achieved more than just using the formula he saw, even revising it. It was an absurd act that an Ice Element user would foam at the mouth and rush at him if they saw it, but Asel’s face was full of dissatisfaction.

‘The Ice Element magic formula accumulates cold in the circuit every time it’s used.’

Ice Element magic, created by completely changing Water Stream magic among the elemental magic consisting of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. Perhaps because of that, unlike Water Stream magic which just needs to be used, Ice Element magic had the characteristic that the circuit would crackle and freeze every time the formula was activated.

The increasing power of the magic as cold accumulates is an advantage. But the moment it exceeds the threshold, the circuit freezes and shatters, usually resulting in instant death, or even if lucky, becoming a body that can never use magic again.

Asel was the same. Simultaneously with the magic’s activation, he felt the slightly cooled circuit and body temperature, and his mouth twitched.

There was only one way to erase the cold in the circuit. Spend time without using magic, letting the accumulated cold in the circuit naturally melt away. There was no other way to handle the cold.

Asel pondered over this repeatedly in the past few days.

The answer he obtained.

‘Activating Fire-attribute mana and Ice-attribute mana simultaneously to counteract the cold.’

Doing so would make it possible to melt the cold accumulated each time the Ice Element formula is used with Fire magic’s mana. Furthermore, it would become possible to manifest magic with contradictory properties, like cold fire or hot ice.

It wasn’t an easy task. Mixing mana standing at opposite extremes. If done incorrectly, his body could explode. With insufficient related knowledge currently, he was reluctant to attempt it forcefully.

However, he had no intention of giving up. Asel believed in his talent and had no intention of abandoning his thirst for knowledge about magic. It was a realm he would surely reach someday through repeated research and accumulated experience. Entering the academy was for this purpose. There was no other place where he could master all sorts of knowledge.

Just as Asel was thinking that, someone knocked on the waiting room door.

-Asel, can I come in?

It was Ena’s voice. Asel jumped up from his seat and opened the door himself.

“Master, you’re here…”

He said that in a welcoming voice, but trailed off when he saw Ena’s appearance.

Ena, who usually went around in simple clothing, was not here in this place.

A black dress that coolly exposed her shoulders and upper chest, a dazzling hairpin that tied and secured her snow-white hair slightly, a brooch pinned to her neck, slightly reddened cheeks as if embarrassed, and a black mole embedded on her chest.

Ena was beautiful even normally. With makeup applied and her clothes and hair set, even Asel, who was used to her appearance, couldn’t close his mouth. Then, suddenly remembering Belle’s words to not look at the mole, he unintentionally glanced at Ena’s chest mole.

“…Your eyes are strange, Asel.”

Ena noticed that Asel’s gaze had lingered on her chest for a little while, covered her chest with her hand, and uttered in a shy voice.