Ch.88Magic: A History of Development and Conflict

“Hmm~ So that’s the bet you made.”

“It just happened that way. I’m sorry…”

After returning to our lodgings and explaining the whole situation, Jessica, who had gradually regained her composure, apologized to all of us, including Mina.

Not only had our participation become inevitable because she had accepted Hector’s bet before we could even discuss whether to take the request, but now the entire party needed to give their all to prevent Jessica from becoming Hector’s sex slave, even if the chance was remote.

“Well, I think even I would have gotten worked up and accepted the bet if I’d heard something like that… but I’m surprised Will didn’t shoot that trash Hector on the spot.”

“Honestly, my hand did move slightly toward my waist. But the fact is we won’t lose to them in dungeon exploration, and it would be troublesome if I killed Hector and lost my license, preventing me from accompanying Jessica.”

“But to demand sexual slavery from a woman from the same academy in the middle of a public street—I still find it hard to believe my eyes and ears.”

“Wow, when you put it that way, he really is Great Trash~”

“Yes. A worthless man who can’t even be compared to Will.”

It seems Hector’s reputation has been firmly established as trash among all four female races—Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Beastfolk.

While that itself was something to be happy about, the fact that Hector had demanded sexual servitude from Jessica lingered in my heart, stirring up unpleasant emotions.

“Why is that Hector guy so desperate to get Jessica? Did something happen during your academy days?”

“Nothing specific happened. Hector has been a severe Staff school supremacist since we first met.”

“Why should mages fight over whether books or staves are better? Besides, wasn’t the staff faction created later?”

“Hmm… this isn’t widely known outside the academy—”

What flowed from Jessica’s lips as she gave a bitter smile was the uncomfortable inside story of the Mage Academy, which had been one of the pillars of Western frontier history.

In the early days of western expansion, magical theory was limited to interpreting and using formulas discovered in ancient ruins.

Therefore, the discovery of new magic meant increased hope for overcoming monsters that couldn’t be defeated before and obstacles that couldn’t be surpassed.

Naturally, the discoverers of such magical formulas and the mages who interpreted them were guaranteed substantial rewards and license promotions, which led to an increase in the authority and influence of the Academy as an organization.

“Until that time, magic and formulas were considered precious assets of humanity that should be shared by everyone. But as research into magic progressed, that perception began to change gradually.”

As humanity’s accumulated assets grew and research into magical theory advanced, it was discovered that a single spell could be broken down into smaller components called ‘Sorceric Elements’ and redesigned.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that from this day forward, Grantis’s magic transitioned from an era of ‘finding’ to an era of ‘creating.’

However, the wealth and glory given to those who designed new magic by breaking down existing formulas fell far short of what was given to ‘discoverers’ or ‘interpreters’ of the previous era.

This was because it was impossible to indiscriminately hand out benefits for ‘all possible combinations’ that would increase exponentially with each new formula discovered.

While this was a decision that the New Continent Development Headquarters made with fairness in mind, it caused significant ripples in the values of latecomers to magical studies.

‘If I won’t receive proper recognition for presenting new formulas to the Academy, why should I share my research results with others?’

This value system, which gradually spread with young mages at its core, began to influence the way mages lived.

Mages who privately purchased and concealed magical formulas discovered by adventurers in dungeons.

Mages who kept their secret magic to themselves as a competitive edge in their adventuring activities.

Mages who taught formulas or magical elements they had secured in exchange for money.

For them, magic was not an asset of all humanity to overcome the threat of monsters, but a special power and authority that only talented individuals could obtain.

“Things were somewhat better when codexes were the only means of using magic. After all, without using the Academy’s grimoire editing facilities, one could only create simple low-level magic.”

But necessity is the mother of invention, and heroes are born in troubled times.

The magical academic world of Grantis was turned upside down with the appearance of two geniuses: Gustav Al Pen and Sara Broyle.

They discovered a new magical theory that could complete formulas by combining magical elements on the spot, without needing professional equipment or even grimoires.

The elder mages of the Academy, centered around Codex Mages, used all their might to check this new magical theory.

It was obvious that if anyone could freely design magic without going through the Academy, not only would the Academy’s authority decline, but the number of mages who would monopolize newly discovered formulas or magical elements rather than sharing them with academia would increase.

However, undaunted by numerous checks and attacks, Gustav and Sara continued their research and eventually completed a magical tool that could actually reproduce their theory.

A magic staff that manifested the mysterious magical phenomenon called the Pen-Broyle Formula Resonance Singularity, or Penbroyle Singularity for short.

This was the moment when the name ‘Staff Wizard’ appeared in the history of Grantis.

“The Staff Wizard school takes pride in having opened new horizons of magic despite persecution from conservative elder mages… the Codex Mages. Moreover, since the Staff Wizard school has large variations in ability depending on individual talents such as memorization or aptitude for magical elements, it’s no exaggeration to say that the pride of capable Staff Mages is sky-high.”

“And Hector Jones stands at the pinnacle of that pride.”

“That’s right. I don’t know why Hector, who had been walking the path of success while insisting on being a researcher, suddenly rushed out west, but…”

As I heard Jessica’s words, I began to recall part of my memory from when I met Hector in Mother Town.

– ‘What is a self-proclaimed genius mage and capable elite like you doing with that amazing magic while holed up in a safe city?’

– ‘Ah! I get it, a magic show! Of course you don’t have time to go outside the city and help people.’

“…It might be because of me.”

“Eh? Why?”

“You know, I once told him something like ‘Jessica, an old-fashioned mage, saves the lives of people she just met, but you, calling yourself a genius, are just holed up in the city—what’s so great about that?’ Maybe he rushed out because of that.”

“Come on, surely not for such a reason…”

Jessica’s expression gradually darkened as she was about to say that no one would risk their life for such a trivial reason.

“…It’s possible. Hector is definitely capable of that.”

“So we have to enter the same dungeon with that guy and bet on who’s the better adventurer. How tiresome…”

“We’ll all go in together and make that mage Hector shut up. But first, should we finish the urgent matter?”

“Urgent matter? You mean countermeasures in case that man Hector tries to harm us?”

“That’s important too, but have you forgotten why I didn’t go with you to hear the quest explanation?”

“…Ah. That’s right.”

The reason Mina didn’t attend the meeting with the quest client was because she was on the verge of completing the magical tool being developed to conceal the artifact.

“Does that mean… you’ve completed it? The Black Label.”

“Yes. Just before you all returned.”

Black Label.

That was the name of the magical tool designed to store the artifact that emitted infinite magical power in a two-dimensional space.

The name on the blueprint was ‘Internal-External Circulation Type Magic Supply Asymmetric Mass Isolation Device,’ but reflecting my opinion that we should give it a name that provides no hint of its purpose, it was named ‘Black Label.’

“Hehe, prepare to be amazed~ Ta-da!”

Mina pulls out the completed Black Label from the pouch at her waist.

It’s a small disc-shaped component with a silver, droplet-shaped metal body with a short rod attached, and at its end sits a large chalcedony (black onyx).

The moment I saw it, I was struck by an intense shock.

“…Huh!?”

“What’s wrong?”

“T-This…!!”

When I saw it in the blueprint, I only had a vague sense of déjà vu.

But the moment I beheld the actual object, that vague feeling transformed into a definite memory.

I know this shape!

No, I know of videos featuring objects of this shape!!

The century’s invention designed to hide a legendary artifact looked exactly like an adult toy for a specific preference.