Chapter 29 : Millennium Height (3)

I woke up late and tidied my hair before heading down to the inn’s main hall.

“Ruina? You’re up!”

“You too, Chris.”

Chris was already there ahead of me, casually sipping on whiskey in broad daylight.

The sight made me frown as I sat across from her at the table.

“Chris, don’t you think it’s a bit early to be drinking? One honey mead, please!”

“At least wait until I answer before calling me out. Aren’t you doing the same thing?”

“I couldn’t resist.”

I took a quick sip of the honey mead that arrived along with a plate of potato salad.

“Ah, this is why Hwangdo lives up to its name. The food here is excellent.”

“Well, it is the gathering place of the world’s finest cuisines. Pricey, though.”

“At least the honey mead hasn’t changed.”

“That’s because it’s made with divine magic. Tastes the same everywhere.”

“And that’s a good thing. I’ll have another serving of potato salad, please.”

I ended up ordering five more rounds of potato salad and finished with a glass of milk to cleanse my palate.

As I took a sip, a thought came to mind.

“Speaking of which… where’s Leon?”

“No idea. Didn’t he skip coming back last night too?”

“He must be caught up gathering information.”

He was probably holed up in some bustling pub all day.

For a paladin awakened to divine power, pulling a few all-nighters was nothing.

That meant I likely wouldn’t be seeing Leon anytime soon.

He was tenacious like that.

“He’s so persistent, he watches my every move like a hawk.”

“That’s because you keep doing weird things, Ruina.”

“If we’re comparing weirdness, I think you win.”

I placed a lantern on the table and lit it.

Fwoosh. I cast a soundproofing spell and took a slow draw from my pipe.

“Soundproofing? Why now? Are we going to have some girly talk or something?”

“Chris, you really say the strangest things sometimes. No reason. It was just too noisy.”

“Huh?”

It was only then that Chris noticed something was off.

This soundproofing spell was different.

Normally, it just kept our voices from leaking out.

But this time, it blocked out all external noise too.

“Now we can speak freely. Nothing gets in or out.”

“How curious. So, are you dating Leon?”

“That topic feels so forced.”

“I like talking to you, Ruina. Even when we don’t say much, it’s comfortable. Why do you think that is?”

“Probably because we’re not overly interested in each other.”

“Ah, that’s it.”

I exhaled a puff of smoke and stared into the lantern flame.

Here’s what I currently had in terms of magic:

Pure elemental fire spells I developed myself, along with a few applied variants.

Alchemical and water-binding magic I gained from the Scale.

And two unique magics: Scale and Growth.

Honestly, I’d come a long way in such a short time.

From the fire element, I had identified two key traits: Fairness and Consumption.

They say a mage’s magic reflects their life—and I found that to be true.

So then… why did I manifest Fairness and Consumption?

Fairness made sense.

My life had always revolved around that ideal.

But consumption?

Maybe it was because I tried to eat fire once?

Could be.

The first traits of an element are heavily influenced by a mage’s life, but additional traits often come from recent experiences.

It made sense.

I adjusted the flame within the lantern.

Fire magic with the trait of Fairness strengthens through repetition and restriction.

The more consistently I perform an action, the more it solidifies into a rule.

Then, I add a restriction.

After carrying around a lantern every day, I gained a boost when casting fire magic through it.

That rule eventually became a restriction: any fire magic I developed must be cast through the lantern.

If it’s not through the lantern, it simply won’t work.

I’d love to add more restrictions, but those come naturally through habit.

I can’t just tack them on at will.

Even so, my fire magic was absurdly powerful for someone supposedly still at the third tier.

The Fairness trait made pure elemental spells efficient and potent.

Its drawback was that it weakened other forms of magic—but the Consumption trait compensated for that nicely.

I cycled through various fire spells inside the lantern, thinking ahead.

My next goal was reaching the Fourth Tier, known as Confluence—a stage beyond Understanding, Mastery, and Refinement.

Confluence meant becoming one with the element—true harmony.

It was the first level where a mage is considered “properly skilled,” though that definition was debatable.

To the powerless, tiers meant nothing.

Even a Tier 0 mage was still a mage.

This “proper mage” label didn’t come from common people.

It came from the perspective of high-ranking mages.

Thanks to that elitism, anything below Tier 4 was often looked down upon in the magical community. Still, reaching Tier 4 was my next step.

But it wasn’t my ultimate goal.

That had always been the same—ever since I understood this world’s magical framework.

Tier 5: Revelation.

That was my true objective.

Do you have a magic that is truly your own?

Have you discovered something from within yourself?

Those two questions separated Tier 4 from Tier 5.

That’s why Tier 5 is called Revelation—only those who’ve found their personal path can reach it.

From here on, no amount of effort would help without innate talent.

Tier 4 is achievable through dedication.

Tier 5?

That’s a different story.

I use my unique magic thanks to Kelton’s help, but in truth, unique magic isn’t something you can casually wield.

It’s something you obtain only after pushing yourself to your limits—when you discover the true name etched into your soul.

I imagined what my own unique magic might be.

Kelton’s was Scale.

Flona’s was Growth.

So what about me?

Since I’ve been gathering and collecting magic…

Collection, maybe?

Sounds about right.

“Ruina? What are you thinking about so hard?”

“I was thinking about you, Chris. If you ever become a fifth-tier mage, your unique magic should be called Greed.”

“Is that… a good thing?”

“It is a good thing.”

After even imagining what Chris’s unique succubus magic might look like, I got up from my seat.

The mouth vanished from the flame inside the lantern, and sound returned to the room.

In the now noisy tavern hall, Chris called out to me.

“Ruina? Where are you going?”

“Just stepping out for a bit.”

“Where to?”

“There’s only one place I’d go in the Imperial Capital.”

“The casino?”

She knew me too well.

Now I knew exactly what kind of image Chris had of me.

I made a mental note to gift her salt and holy water someday, and answered:

“The chess club.”

“You play chess, Ruina?”

“I’m the greatest chess player in history. Just going to have a little fun—so don’t wait up.”

“Have fun!”

With Chris seeing me off, I stepped out of the tavern.

There were quite a few Arcana Chess Clubs in the city.

I headed to one that didn’t require membership.

It was a pretty upscale place.

The moment I walked in, the gazes of various gentlemen zeroed in on me.

I paid the entry fee and sat in an open seat.

I liked clubs with a clear purpose—no need to wander around wondering what to do.

“New here?”

Someone sat across from me, striking up conversation.

Welcoming newcomers seemed like a universal instinct in any community.

“It’s my first time in the Imperial Capital.”

“A player from another region, huh? Interesting.”

We exchanged brief introductions and quickly set up the board.

Arcana chess players didn’t need words.

But then I paused as I noticed his hands—burn marks.

He, too, paused when he saw mine.

“Those burns… Are you a fire mage?”

“You as well?”

“Fire mage.”

“Pleasure meeting a fellow kindred soul.”

“Likewise.”

He gave a crooked grin and spoke with a spark of shared experience.

“If you’re a real mage, you have to touch your own magic at least once. Those who haven’t—do they even know what magic is?”

“Exactly.”

“I felt my first spell with my bare hands. Still remember the sensation like it was yesterday. Honestly, that experience alone is probably what got me to Tier 3. How about you?”

“Same here. I felt it through my whole body.”

“Right? Through your who—wait, what did you say?”

“My whole body.”

He blinked and finally shifted his gaze to my face, which had been hidden by my robe.

Then his jaw dropped.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“I thought we were comrades.”

“Don’t lump me in with you! You’re completely insane!”

He recoiled in horror and moved a pawn one step forward in front of his knight.

The Clark Knight.

A traitor.

And traitors must not be spared.

I dismantled his position with a magician’s gambit and lit my pipe.

The room erupted.

“Bens lost without even a fight! Who is she?!”

“No idea. But if that lunatic calls her crazy, she must be really dangerous!”

“Next?”

I asked in a bored voice, scanning the room for another opponent.

No one moved.

Why?

Were they scared of my skill?

Just like my young master once did, should I start wagering money to draw them in?

Just as the thought crossed my mind—

“I’ll play.”

Someone sat across from me.

A woman.

Her hair and eyes were an ordinary brown, but her face was unusually striking—delicate and beautiful.

The moment I saw her, I muttered to myself: can a girl even play chess?

Silence fell over the chess club like a dropped curtain.

Then, behind the woman, someone briefly released a flicker of killing intent.

Just a flicker—only enough for me to feel.

And that’s when it hit me.

Judging by everyone’s faces…did I say that out loud?

Hmm.

Whoops.

Let’s all just… pretend that didn’t happen?

Thanks in advance.