Episode 146. Mana Explosion and Aftershock (4)
The next morning, Rubin left the interrogation room.
There was no particular farewell or welcome. Rubin had not told Kuze that he could leave the interrogation room today.
How far had he walked toward Capotini? Rubin looked back at a brown fox following him.
“Tina, stop acting.”
It was Tina who had transformed into a fox. The fox came running towards Rubin.
“As expected… Those weird eyes can’t be fooled. Can you tell me the real secret now?”
“Oh, no.”
In fact, everything was thanks to Haneke, but the day when I can say that is still far away. Perhaps it will be the day when I achieve my long-cherished wish of revenge.
“Whew… I miss the taste of water over there.”
Tina looked over at the direction Rubin had walked and said:
In fact, Tina had visited Rubin every day during the two weeks he was in the interrogation center. The interrogation center was set up in a building by the lake, and Rubin had been given the rule that he could not leave the lakeside.
Rubin walked along the lakeside and came into contact with Tina. Tina appeared each time in the form of an inconspicuous water snake. She relayed news to Rubin through teleportation.
Within two weeks, Capotini Magic School was quickly returning to normal. It was said that classes resumed three days after the selection exam.
‘I missed Professor Benitez’s class on movement magic.’
Of all the magic that Rubin would learn at Capotini School of Magic, the most useful one was definitely the Magic of Movement.
I first met Benitez as a ‘hidden merchant’. Even though he was not unmanned, the flexible and surprising movements he showed were still impressive.
Even if you learn just one type of movement magic called ‘Pakong’, it will definitely be a formidable weapon in a battle situation.
But during the two weeks that Rubin was in the interrogation center, the classes progressed quite a bit.
Because the curriculum required that certain classes be taught in a single week, the progress of Rubin and the other cadets was bound to differ considerably.
“Don’t worry. I’ll give you private lessons instead. That’s what Professor Benitez said on the first day of class. Chloe was so jealous. Oh, right. You should have seen Dahlia’s expression too.”
Rubin felt a sense of relief as he watched Tina giggle.
‘It actually turned out well.’
A private lesson with an authority on movement magic. It was a great opportunity for Rubin, who was passionate about movement magic.
“And yesterday the principal went to see Eric and Dahlia and said.”
“The results of the Education Committee?”
“Yeah, of course you would have cut it off from the imperial command, right?”
“Right. So what happened to you two?”
“It’s on hold for now. The Education Committee will reorganize and then decide again.”
Dahlia, who had hoped to advance into the system and further solidify her family’s prestige. Her disappointed face came to mind.
“But I guess their family was pleased with the results of this test. They’re planning a joint celebration party.”
“That makes sense.”
I don’t know what will happen to the existence of the Officer Cadet Corps, but for them, just being able to be drafted as an officer cadet is an honor in itself.
“But Rubin, shouldn’t you be invited to the party too? Those two had grades that were way lower than yours. It would be a bit embarrassing to brag about it to each other.”
Whatever. I didn’t really care about parties.
“What about Enzo?”
Rubin checked on Enzo while he was away.
Enzo Lorenzini was an object of protection and surveillance. His identity, hidden in the Rhapsody Hall, had to be kept secret. That’s why Tina, in her transformation, checked on him every day and left messages from Rubin every now and then.
Fortunately, he said that he was doing well in the secret space without any problems.
“Oh, that’s right!”
“hmm?”
“Enzo, now that you mention it, I remember. What did Kuze say yesterday? He said he thought he had a clue?”
“A clue? Are you talking about the study of female genitalia?”
“That’s right, female magic! ‘Personality change’ something or other… But I think that problem might be solved with the help of that wizard, Enzo.”
He thought of the high-dimensional stealth magic that Kuze was researching. It was a magic that only Rubin could use, as it used mana.
“If you go to a bookstore, you can hear an explanation.”
Rubin’s eyes, as he spoke, suddenly turned fierce. On the other side of the road they were walking, there was someone familiar.
The other side hadn’t noticed Rubin’s approach yet. He wasn’t a very welcome sight.
“Tina. Did you feel it too?”
“Tch, there’s Rosenthaler. Then I’ll turn into Roynecro.”
Tina quickly entered the bushes. She transformed from her fox form into Roinecrow. With a nervous flapping of her wings, she headed straight for the sky.
Then he started circling around above Rosenthaler, his mint green eyes gleaming.
Kaaaah. Grrrrr.
“Damn crow!”
Rosenthaler, who was looking up at Tina with displeasure, raised his hand when he noticed Rubin walking across from him.
Rubin’s gaze was directed to Rosenthaler’s other hand.
‘Are you carrying a sword?’
This was the first time I had seen Rosenthaler wielding a sword. Suddenly, I wondered how far he had come.
‘Because one day I’ll have to put my sword to that neck.’
It is certain that he is not just a low-level agent of the Imperial Command. If Rubin’s prediction is correct, Rosenthaler is likely a warrior who has mastered the Imperial Command’s arcane swordsmanship.
“Rosenthaler.”
“Finally, I see you, Master Roinen. It must have been quite stuffy, huh?”
“Isn’t this the first time I’ve seen you carrying a sword?”
“Ah, this. It’s my favorite sword. But I don’t have to show it off to you guys.”
Even without looking at the sword, it was obvious. It wasn’t just a simple sword. It was a treasure, maybe a soul weapon. If Rosenthaler was Rulfo’s confidant, it couldn’t be an ordinary weapon.
“By the way, why didn’t you tell me?”
Rubin’s voice gained strength. Now, Rubin and Rosenthaler were meeting face to face for the first time since the selection test of the Education Commission.
“Why didn’t you tell me in advance that the Jang Education Committee would be coming to the school?”
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Even if he wasn’t the guy, I already knew, but the pretext was good. Now was the time to push Rosenthaler.
“You won’t believe me, but I found out that day.”
“Are you saying that even though you know I won’t believe you?”
“Believe it or not, it’s your choice. Anyway, the Ministry of Magic has always been like that. They’re just as evil as you Assassins.”
Rubin read in his words a animosity toward the Ministry of Magic. It didn’t seem like simple grumbling.
then.
‘The Ministry of Magic and the Imperial Department are likely to be enemies.’
Even Rubin, who has returned once, only has a superficial knowledge of the discord within the palace.
Imperial decree.
Ministry of Magic.
General’s Department.
Although they are all forces that obey and are loyal to Telmah, they are always in a state of tight check and balance among themselves.
“And even though the Magic Brigade is under the command of the Grand General, they are the ones who are in league with the Ministry of Magic. So even we can’t help but be a bit ignorant of their information.”
“That’s none of my business. If you had told me in advance, I would have prepared properly. I would have even told you what to do.”
“What should I do? Are you talking about how you almost got drafted as an officer cadet because you showed off your abilities without any hesitation?”
“Are you blaming me now? That’s why you should have told me in advance.”
Rosenthaler, at a loss for words, shook his head.
“Okay. Anyway, it’s impossible for the son of the Assassin’s Sword to be drafted as an officer cadet. That’s why Lord Rulfo had to step in himself. Just know that.”
“Because of Rosenthaler’s incompetence, the Roinen family’s son was caught in a mana explosion and almost died. The head of the Roinen family almost intervened himself. Just know that.”
“…How cheeky.”
After that, the two walked without much conversation until they reached a fork in the road, where Rosenthaler chose a different direction.
“There will be another encounter soon. So, behave yourself at school.”
“From now on, you should know things properly. I also want to be quiet.”
“… See you again.”
Rubin watched Rosenthaler’s back as he walked away.
‘I thought there might be an order coming down regarding Per, but he’s trying to hide it until the very end.’
Enzo disappeared from the ‘Valley Prison’, and the Magic School still had not discovered the identity of Per. However, it seemed that they had no plans to use Rubin.
‘That’s right. Perna Enzona, in the end, you’ll probably think of it as a weapon to subdue the Assassin Swordsman.’
Unless the Imperial Order is determined to deceive Rubin, they will never issue an order regarding Per. Rather, Rubin’s presence at the magic school where Per is hiding will be a thorn in their side.
‘First of all, we need to gauge Rosenthaler’s level.’
In order to keep Enzo and his son safer, the best thing to do was to eliminate the big shot Rosenthaler. But he couldn’t move recklessly.
He had to be careful when dealing with the key members of the Imperial Order. The Imperial Order would always suspect the Assassination Sword. That was also the reason why he did not personally deal with Hitan, who was the warden of the Valley Prison.
‘I guess I’ll have to use Kaizen.’
It was a number that came to Rubin’s mind. If we use him, who has a fear of Rubin deeply rooted in his subconscious, we can create a very plausible situation.
‘You can’t be lazy when it comes to training.’
If he wanted to have even a slight advantage in the fight against Rosenthaler, he had to complete Kuze’s new magic as quickly as possible.
Rubin’s steps towards the bookstore began to quicken.
* * *
“Your Majesty! Are you okay? Is there anything that feels uncomfortable?”
As soon as you enter the bookstore, Kuze greets you warmly.
Tina opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips in bewilderment at the sight of Rubin’s body being examined here and there.
Tina’s current appearance was like that of a cheerful teenage girl helping her parents sell fruit at the market. She scratched the freckles on her cheeks with her fingernails and blinked, which was perfect evidence.
“Kuje, I think you keep forgetting how scary the Assassination Swordsmanship is.”
“Huh? What is that… … .”
“Where did Rubin grow up, and why are you worried about something like an interrogation by the Magic Brigade? I’ll give you regular meals, take you for a walk every day, and even cast a magic spell to give you peace of mind and body when you sleep at night? It wasn’t an interrogation, it was a total noble experience.”
“… Ahem.”
“Here, on the other hand? It’s stuffy, cramped, and smells like moldy books! Ugh, let’s work harder so we don’t fall behind the Magic Brigade. Got it, Kuze?”
“This, this isn’t something I did, it was originally… … .”
“Oh, I don’t know about that-”
While the two were bickering, Rubin stood in front of the secret room of the bookstore.
“Kuje.”
“Yes, your highness.”
“I heard from Tina. She said she found a clue to the secret conspiracy?”
Rubin opened the door to the secret room, went inside, folded his arms and waited. He wanted to hear the clue.
“Then, Tina, please stop by the bookstore for a moment!”
“Tch, you’re annoying.”
After a while, Kuze became very serious.
He used one wall of the secret room as a blackboard. He started drawing something here and there across the blackboard.
“A cube?”
“It looks like a regular cube, but its eight corners are made of magic stones. A cube assembled from these eight magic stones. Wizards call it a ‘mana cube.’”
“As far as I know, if it’s Mana Cube… it’s used in magical architecture, right?”
“Huh? How did you know that?”
Kuze’s face looked surprised. That was understandable. Mana Cube was not something that even magic students commonly knew. Rubin hurriedly made an excuse.
“… I saw it in a book in the library when I was at my parents’ house.”
“hmm.”
Kuze thought for a moment, then nodded his head briskly, convincing himself that it could certainly be possible.
“That’s right. Let me briefly explain here, in connection with what I said earlier… … .”
‘Phew. My mind got ahead of itself. I have to be careful.’
Rubin let out a sigh of relief and focused on the explanation that followed.
According to what Kuze told me last time, the key to the ‘Hideout’ technique was to have Rubin’s body sink into an object. For example, instead of going behind a rock, he would literally put his body inside it.
However, in order to do so, the inside of the object had to first be changed from rock to water. In other words, a magic called ‘property change’ was needed.
“It changes the inside of an object to the nature of water, and hides inside. It’s a kind of diving. Wasn’t that the core of our secret technique?”
“That’s right. The master said that it would be possible if we used magic stones. So I looked into the areas where magic stones are most actively used, and found the answer in magical architecture.”
“So that’s why you said you’d need Enzo’s help. Since Enzo is a magic architect.”
“He’s not just an architect, he’s a skilled magic architect. He actively adopted Mana Cube and utilized ‘spatial connection’ and ‘spatial expansion’ to a high level.”
According to Kuze’s subsequent explanation, the most stable way to interact with objects is to have a Mana Cube made of magic stones.
He also said that the key to this magic trick was to gather eight of these magic stones to create a cube.
“The interior of that cube is the most ideal. It is the most stable environment, even in the face of changes in properties, and in contact with other materials. It is literally the perfect environment.
“I understand. That means you need eight magic stones to make the shape of a cube.”
“That’s right, Young Master. The higher the level of magic stones, the more effective they are. If all eight were first-level magic stones… wouldn’t that be perfect?”
It’s nothing more than 8 Grade 1 Magic Stones. It’s hard to find even one, and now I need 6 more?
Even Rubin thought it was too much. Even if it was a stealth technique outside the standards that Kuze had created, it was inefficient to devote that much money to this.
‘Even if you match 8 with 2nd grade magic stones, it’s difficult.’
Mana Cube was originally used as a building material. It is mostly used in a fixed form inside buildings.
The Mana Cube that Rubin was trying to utilize now was intended to be used during operations. In other words, it had to be able to be flexibly installed and dismantled. And that meant that it would consume a significant amount of mana.
“Kuje, that theory you mentioned. Do you have it sorted out?”
“Here it is.”
As expected, Kuze produced a well-organized file. Rubin quickly looked through it. The principles that made stealth magic possible were laid out in detail and in an easy-to-understand manner.
Another key to this magic is the dark smoke, and Rubin looked into that part in detail.
‘As expected, the writing about the female genitals is vague.’
Of course. This was a summary written for the purpose of showing it to Enzo. Since Enzo could not possibly understand the concept of dark smoke and should not know about it, the part about dark smoke had to be written somewhat vaguely. It is a hassle, but this is something that can be explained directly.
Rubin closed the papers.
“I guess I should meet Enzo first.”
