EP.182 Omen (1)
The duel has ended.
Although the duel is over, the excitement has not subsided. This is largely due to the shocking nature of the duel that took place before everyone.
『The essence of the Battle Mage.』
『The paradigm of the Wizard.』
The professors evaluate the duel this way.
Even for the professors who have witnessed countless duels between mages, this one was a fresh shock. They couldn’t contain their surprise at the duel presented by the two young mages.
『Utilization of circuits reaching the extreme. Responding by altering circuits according to the situation, truly an ideal Wizard.』
This is the ideal combat method of a Wizard.
The professors know that such a response method exists theoretically, but theory and practice are different. That’s why it’s called an ideal…
『Demonstrated the extreme use of only basic spells.』
Professor Lrutia has brought that into reality.
This means she proved the ideal in practice.
The professors express their respect for that fact.
『It was a battle true to the fundamentals of Battle Magic.』
Rania van Trias.
Her name once again rolls off the professors’ tongues. They already knew she was an extraordinary Wizard. However, they didn’t expect her to be so well-versed even in the Battle Mage Class.
『Continuously closing the gap. Pressing the opponent. Cornering them. The essence of Battle Mage combat that always takes the initiative.』
Only Professor Mackhart, who knew her capabilities, evaluated it as “a natural result,” while the other professors shake their heads at another side of her.
‘Mastering a single class is difficult enough…’
Just over twenty, merely twenty-one years old, she handles two classes more adeptly than those who have dedicated their whole lives to one.
‘It’s always surprising.’
They feel no petty emotions like jealousy.
They can only admire her for her consistently astounding performance.
“Did you see the duel?”
“Yeah, I saw it all. I’m in the Battle Magic Department after all. I had a bet with the Elemental Magic Department…”
“So, what was the result…?”
While the professors focus on the process of the duel, students pay attention to the outcome. Of course, the process was amazing and there was much to learn… but in any duel, there exist winners and losers.
『A duel between a Wizard and a Battle Mage.』
The Elemental Magic Department and the Battle Magic Department.
The duel unfolded amidst a rivalry between the two departments. It’s only natural for students to focus on victory and defeat.
So, what was the result?
“Professor Rania won…”
“She did win, but…”
“Anyway, Professor Rania won…”
‘Anyway.’
The use of such a term implies that the distinction between winner and loser does not seem clear.
“Something feels a little…”
The adjudicated winner is Professor Rania.
However, if asked whether Professor Rania achieved a perfect victory… the answer would be no.
“Then did the Battle Magic Department win the bet?”
“No, we decided to just forget it…”
“Uh? Why?”
“You saw it. That last thing…”
The students from the Battle Magic Department hang their heads in embarrassment. Professor Rania won. She did win. But it was a victory that couldn’t be declared proudly before others.
“Ah, let go of this! I, I’m going to forfeit! I’d rather forfeit!”
Unlike the calm and collected Professor Lrutia who gracefully accepted the duel’s outcome and exited the arena, Professor Rania was the one shouting hysterically.
“I lost! I lost! I’m saying I lost!”
That was the sight of a disgraceful victor, unable to accept the outcome.
“Shoot! Go ahead! Who’s going to take care of it? Even if I didn’t forfeit, I won! I won!”
“Ah, let’s go! Come on! Please! Host! What are you waiting for to announce the results!”
Eventually, Professor Rania being dragged out screaming by Hound in front of everyone shared a certain feeling among the students.
‘Disgraceful. So very…!’
That the winner could appear so disgraceful was a harsh lesson for the students of the Battle Magic Department.
“Just looking at the duel, you were really cool.”
“Yeah, your hair was flying everywhere, and you were striking from mid-air… really cool.”
“Your hair tied up looked pretty too.”
“Yeah… really…”
The duelist who triumphed was the Battle Mage.
However, the students from the Battle Magic Department paid more attention to the process than the outcome. They chose to turn a blind eye to the excessively ugly result.
Professor Rania won, but she lost.
Professor Lrutia lost, but she won.
Which side is the true victor? It’s a question that doesn’t need to be answered, as it would only hurt one’s own mouth. While the duel incident had produced both an ugly victor and a magnificent loser, it drew to a close…
“…I won.”
The ugly victor, sulking, kept repeating the same thing.
“I, I won.”
“Yes, in the end, you did win. Truly disgracefully and embarrassingly so.”
“No, I just won, okay? I proved my superiority over the Wizard, so it’s not ugly…”
“Senior, you really are amazing, aren’t you?”
Kalt, who had been listening to Rania’s nonsense, clapped his hands together.
“The Hounds who watched the duel dropped their suspicions. They stopped suspecting your identity. You defeated a superhuman, yet you’re curious why the Hounds dropped their doubts?”
Kalt spoke as if it were absurd.
“Because it was disgraceful. Disgraceful. No way a lightweight, amateur mage could be the ‘Wise One’ Raniel. They said it was incredibly rude to even suspect that.”
Rania fell silent.
Kalt sighed, resting his chin on his hand.
“Really amazing. Were you aiming for this?”
“…”
“Right. If you had a conscience, you wouldn’t be able to admit it. I can’t hold my head up high because of you. Really.”
A victory marked only by scars.
Rania felt like she might tear up.
“Go do some work.”
“Yeah…”
A surprisingly astonishing scene unfolded as a subordinate ordered their superior, and Rania dragged her feet away helplessly. An ugly victor speaks no words.
2.
She won the duel.
Though a victory full of wounds, she won.
The important thing is that she won, and the fact that she seized the root is crucial.
‘Yes, I won…’
A meaningless victory. A victory full of wounds.
“Ah…”
I sighed as I walked.
The production I envisioned had failed, and the role of the ‘magnificent loser’ that I should have occupied was taken by Kelharlem. The plans I set before the duel had all gone awry.
…Still, I achieved the objective.
‘Winning or losing, those secondary matters aside, the original objective.’
Reading Kelharlem’s constraints.
That was the original goal of the duel, and I perfectly achieved that. During the duel, I managed to pick up the constraints that Kelharlem had placed on his body.
“What remains is to guess the answer.”
I halted my steps.
“Right? Kelharlem.”
In a clearing of the forest, a little distance away from Apuria. The guest who arrived ahead of me looked at me.
“…As expected, that was the main purpose.”
The Braver, Kelharlem.
He exhaled sharply as if he had expected it. Leaning against a tree, Kelharlem straightened up.
“I had somewhat predicted it when you suddenly challenged me to a duel.”
He squinted his eyes.
“You’re acting like the Ashen Mage. Who taught you that method? Did the Ashen Mage teach you directly?”
“And if I say yes?”
“I would have no choice but to believe it. I didn’t include in the contract a condition to keep the way to read the constraints a secret.”
I shrugged it off.
“Not sounding very convincing.”
“Can’t help it. There are plenty of suspicions.”
Kelharlem looked at me.
His eyes were devoid of any emotion.
“It’s difficult to find similarities in your appearance, which is merely colored in a distinctive way. But if we consider spell characteristics, mana flow, behavior, and skills in handling spells… I can’t help but feel suspicious.”
I remained silent. Even if my senses as a superhuman were sealed, Kelharlem was also a superhuman. I never thought about hiding my true identity from him for long.
“So?”
Neither affirmation nor denial.
There was no need for that. From the way he was speaking, it seemed that Kelharlem had already decided on his answer.
“Do you think I am the Ashen Mage?”
“I can’t say I’m sure.”
Kelharlem replied.
“Gender reversal. Body transformation. Soul distortion. It is providentially impossible. Hence, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t make such assumptions but…”
He touched his own neck.
The neck that bore the chains of the constraints. The place was filled with chains acquired for taming the madness incurred from reaching for the impossible. While touching it, Kelharlem continued.
“The Ashen Mage has fought closest to those who defy providence directly. So, it can’t be dismissed as impossible.”
“Then…”
“Therefore, I hypothesize.”
He took a step closer to me.
“You’re either the Ashen Mage herself or, if not, a mage in substantial communication with the Ashen Mage, possessing equivalent skills.”
“Not quite certain, huh?”
“I cannot be sure of anything.”
That was a typically honest response from him.
“Actually, either way, it doesn’t matter much to me. What I am about to tell you now is a warning.”
A warning.
“You must have seen it. My constraints.”
“I did.”
I nodded my head.
The center of the constraints that Kelharlem had placed on himself consisted originally of three sentences.
『Drop the Star.』
『Tame the madness.』
『Kill the Gletus.』
That was the core of what I had seen while on the battlefield. However, now one sentence had been added to it.
『■■ to track.』
A sentence concealed beyond chains.
Two letters that will remain a mystery until all chains are unraveled.
“Track it.”
I pronounced the sentence written there.
“Chase it. Anticipate it. And…”
One by one, I articulated the minor constraints placed next to it. The final word was but a single term.
“Swallow it.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Swallow it, I couldn’t understand the meaning of that word.
“What on earth?”
I asked Kelharlem but
“If you’ve read that far, it would be faster to speak.”
Kelharlem did not answer my question.
“I warn you. No matter what happens, do not approach that.”
He cautioned me instead.
“It will surely come. This place has been ‘chosen.’ It will surely appear where the stars gather. Sooner or later, it will make its presence known at this star-concentrated place.”
The ominous light glowed in his ashen eyes.
“Just like when Artiya fell.”
The city of academia that burned and vanished.
“When it comes, when I step forward…”
Kelharlem pointed at me.
“Get out of Apuria. Even if you’re not the Ashen Mage, if you have skills on par with hers, you must not approach it. If you are indeed the Ashen Mage… you must keep even further distance.”
Unknowable words.
I frowned and spoke.
“I need to know what that is, to avoid it or not.”
“…This statement is bound by constraints. If you haven’t gained the authority, you won’t hear it.”
That was something I had heard from Cardi, and a restriction I had acquired after seeing past records. I signaled him to speak, but he sighed briefly.
“I’ll say it just once. Even if you can’t hear, do not ask again.”
He caught his breath and pronounced something.
“Have you ever heard the word ■■?”
■■.
A word so laden with mana that one who lacks qualification cannot even hear it. I furrowed my brow, and Kelharlem sighed.
“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t comprehend.”
He brushed past me with a sigh.
“When it appears, you’ll know even if you don’t want to. All light will disappear. When that time comes, stay as far away as possible. It will be in your best interest.”
With those words, Kelharlem left.
Left alone in the forest, I muttered a short phrase.
“■■.”
The word Kelharlem had just pronounced.
Since it can’t be heard by those lacking qualifications, he must have thought I hadn’t heard… but that was Kelharlem’s misconception.
Two-letter words.
I knew the meaning of that word, which was why I frowned.
“The Shade.”
The Shade is going to show up here.
Kelharlem was saying that.
3.
“Senior, please take a look at this.”
“What is it?”
“Last time, there was a report that an ‘Altar’ was discovered in the sewer, right? Since then, we’ve been continuously monitoring the sewer, and… last night this was found.”
Clatter.
“I can’t feel anything. It seems nothing is inside… it’s just empty. It was rather strange. It appeared suddenly overnight.”
“…a sphere? A magic sphere?”
“It looks like a magic sphere.”
“It’s a black sphere. Seems like a magic tool.”
“Should we take it to the Tower for a detailed examination?”
“No, let me investigate it myself. You go on. Keep monitoring the sewer continuously.”
“Understood.”
After the subordinate left, Kalt, alone in the office, gazed at the gem sphere before him.
“What on earth is this?”
It was an ominous black gem.
It looked as if it was a tool designed to imprison something.
