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Episode 35
Their circumstances (4)
Other candidates do not have the “pathfinding” ability that Riley has.
In a ruins where magic interference was severe, there was only one way for them to find the golden golem.
[You have to be lucky, I guess.]
Luck.
That’s all.
The other factors were of no help in finding the core of the golden golem.
Of course, if you’re someone with a high affinity for mana, like Theobald or Riley, that might be a different story…
well.
Among the applicants in Daejeon, when I looked at them, there weren’t many magicians with mana affinity that was good enough to break through the “magic blockage” of the ruins.
No matter how many times you hit them, only three or four people?
Well, that’s probably it.
anyway.
Back to the beginning again.
To be honest, I was a little curious.
Why did the Five Great Towers try to judge the candidates through luck?
Until now, the five great magic towers have only valued individual skills.
Considering their tendencies, I had a hard time understanding the way this second screening test was conducted.
What luck.
No matter what, it’s still like that, but they’re adding the element of luck to the test.
[I thought the test supervisor had turned around.]
But voila.
Here an unexpected variable arose.
The core, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly began to emit a strong energy.
Naturally, all the candidates who detected the core rushed towards it… … .
Kwaaaaaaaang──!
As you can see, a huge mess has begun to unfold inside the ruins.
‘Why did the core’s magical power suddenly become stronger?’
[It’s obvious, right?]
Perhaps it is a device prepared by the 5th Tower.
‘… … This is a device prepared by the five great magic towers?’
[huh.]
I explained it to Riley, who didn’t understand.
[The test takers who didn’t get any results for 12 hours must have been anxious.]
The pressure of not having accomplished anything even though half of the exam time has passed.
Anxiety about falling behind others.
[But what if, at that moment when your mind is becoming increasingly anxious and uneasy, you feel a strong core energy from somewhere?]
“… … .”
[Of course, people will all rush towards it.]
The five great towers were intentionally created as one fighting arena.
By exploiting the psychology of desperate applicants.
Originally, the more anxious a person becomes, the more his judgment becomes clouded.
The test takers, who had endured half a day inside the historic site, would have already been mentally exhausted.
The five great towers cleverly exploited that gap.
So, it must have been created so that applicants would have no choice but to gather.
‘But, Master Magician.’
[why.]
‘Couldn’t it be that this was someone else’s intentional action?’
[……huh?]
What does that mean?
‘If the core’s magical power was intentionally amplified to reduce the number of competitors… … .’
[Hey, talk some sense.]
I cut Riley off.
[Where in the world is there such a crazy person? He’s not satisfied with just hiding his core, but he’s deliberately luring other competitors?]
‘Hmm… … .’
Riley swallowed for a moment and asked again.
‘I guess so?’
[huh.]
I guarantee you that there is no such psychopath.
no.
Even if it existed, it probably isn’t still alive.
He must have been caught messing around in the ruins.
Just like the three idiots who attacked the stone giant without knowing anything.
Kwaaaa …
[Oh… … .]
The eardrum-shattering noise echoed through the hallway again.
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Riley paused for a moment and frowned when she heard that.
‘As expected, it’s brutal.’
[I know.]
It looks like they’re really having a huge fight.
If the noise is so vivid that we can hear it even from so far away, then that says it all.
It suddenly occurred to me that it was a good thing I didn’t go there again.
[Okay. Let’s just forget about it and go find another golden golem.]
‘yes.’
After hearing my words, Riley started to move forward.
* * *
Inside the ruins, a huge fight was still going on.
In the midst of all this, our team was peacefully exploring the Golden Golem.
How much time has passed like that?
At a moment when we were getting a little bored with the constant moving, Becky threw out a topic.
“Olivia.”
“……yes yes?”
“Why did you choose ancient magic out of all the many series?”
Becky continued asking questions.
“In reality, ancient magic is a minor cult among minor cults. It doesn’t provide any practical help, and other magicians just ignore it. So why did you choose ancient magic?”
“Uh, uh… … .”
It was then that Riley, who had been silently listening to the conversation from the side, intervened.
“But Ms. Becky, you are also a member of the ‘Dolores School’, which specializes in hallucinations.”
As Riley said, Becky also belonged to a non-mainstream school. However, Becky just laughed when she heard that.
“What? Are we in the same situation right now?”
“… … .”
“I majored in illusion magic, but I can handle other basic magic. On the other hand, Olivia is a half-assed magician who only knows one ancient magic.”
Well, that was true.
Of course, illusionary magic was considered to be a minor genre.
However, Becky’s spectrum was not limited to the “hallucination series” magic.
In addition to her main weapon, Becky has learned several “common series” spells.
Close combat using a sword.
And even long-range attacks using magic bullets.
To put it a bit differently, it means that you have a lot of tricks, and to put it nicely, it means that you have a lot of other things prepared.
The main purpose of illusion magic is to confuse the opponent.
But Becky went even further, honing her craft to the point where she could definitely put an end to the wizard she had confounded.
[In contrast, Olivia… … .]
Unlike Becky, who had expanded her spectrum in many directions, Olivia was only obsessed with “ancient magic”.
The result is, well… … .
As you can see, I ended up becoming a half-baked magician who can’t even properly deploy the basic “magic detection” skill.
“There must be a reason why you focused solely on ancient magic while discarding other types of magic. I just wanted to hear the reason.”
“Uh, that… … .”
Olivia hesitated for a moment, her voice trailing off.
Soon she gave the answer.
“Well, it was just because the fairy tales I heard since I was little were cool.”
“A story from a fairy tale?”
“Yes, yes… … . It’s the tale of the forgotten great wizards of old.”
Olivia began to call out the names of the forgotten old wizards from fairy tales, one by one.
“Nirav of the Sky, Mordin the Wise, Akaela the Brave, Juratoel the Friendly, and so on… .”
“… … .”
“Miss Becky and Miss Riley, didn’t you all read the stories of these great wizards when you were young?”
“Hmm.”
Becky nodded after hearing that.
“Yes, that’s right. My parents always used to read to me before I went to bed.”
But Riley’s reaction next to me was strange.
She had an expression on her face as if she was hearing the title of a fairy tale for the first time.
[What? Riley, have you never read a fairy tale like that?]
‘yes.’
That’s weird.
That’s a children’s fairy tale you can’t help but know.
These were fairy tales that had the same impact on Earth as Snow White or Cinderella.
[So what did you read growing up?]
‘yes?’
[No matter what, it’s not like children grew up without reading fairy tales.]
‘Ah, what… … .’
Riley answered, scratching her cheek as she recalled her memories.
‘When I was young, the only fairy tales I read were books like ‘Double-Necked Thief’ and ‘Jack and the Pickpocket.’
[… … ?]
What about the big city?
Jack and the pickpocket?
[… … What is that?]
In all my tens of thousands of years of life, I have never heard such a fairy tale before.
Is this some new fairy tale that was created in the 300 years I’ve been reading it?
‘Of course I had to hear it for the first time. It was a book that my Uncle Robert wrote for me.’
[Who is Uncle Robert?]
‘We are members of the same thieves’ guild.’
[… … .]
A thief writes a children’s story.
It’s terrifying to even think about.
[… … Is the content normal?]
‘Yes, it’s normal.’
Riley nodded and answered.
‘Don’t trust others, live cunningly, don’t care about other people’s well-being and only look after your own interests, etc. Well, it’s a book that contains such beautiful lessons.’
[Oh, yeah.]
There was a reason why Riley grew up to be such a brat.
Because they’ve been reading that kind of garbage as fairy tales since they were little, that’s how they turned out.
‘It’s quite an interesting fairy tale. I’ll read it to you later when I have the chance.’
[huh.]
I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of crap content it will be.
anyway.
After finishing my chat with Riley, I turned my gaze back to Olivia.
She continued talking.
“Ugh… … . Ms. Becky, you’ve read fairy tales too, so you know how cool the forgotten great wizards of old are.”
“Well, it’s cool.”
A story from a fairy tale.
For example, you could magically destroy a mountain.
Or stories like the sea split in two, etc.
“But that’s a fairy tale.”
“……yes?”
“You’re saying you can destroy mountains with magic? You’re saying you can split the sea? Come to your senses. Even the reincarnation of Archmage Martha Pargerich wouldn’t be able to do that.”
“… … .”
Olivia muttered and answered after hearing that.
“……no.”
“what?”
“Well, it’s not a fairy tale, it’s something that actually happened. There are historical records, and academic materials have been passed down, so, that is… … . It’s definitely not just a fairy tale… … .”
Becky answered with a dumbfounded expression when she heard that.
“Really? But why hasn’t anyone from your school demonstrated ancient magic?”
“that…….”
“If, as you say, all the historical records and academic materials have been passed down, then it would be possible to demonstrate ancient magic.”
“… … .”
“If you just unleash the ancient magic once, no one will be able to ignore you. Why isn’t anyone unleashing the ancient magic?”
“Th, th… …”
Olivia’s momentum died down.
“Just a little bit, just a little bit more, if we continue the research… … .”
“hey.”
Becky cut Olivia off.
“I’m saying this because I’m genuinely worried.”
“… … .”
“Are you studying ancient magic while being intoxicated by the romance of old fairy tales? Fine. I won’t stop you. That’s your freedom.”
Becky’s face became serious.
“But know this for sure.”
“… … .”
“You were born with the talent of a wizard. You were born with the “Blessing of Mana” that others so desire.”
Blessing of Mana.
The minimum requirements to become a wizard.
“So, you shouldn’t pay that price.”
“… … .”
“The Magic Path. The path of the wizard. Are you going to waste this path that others cannot walk even if they want to, studying illusions that only appear in fairy tales?”
To foolishly chase after illusions.
To indulge in the magic that only appears in myths.
Instead of moving forward on the path that lies ahead, we are digging up the legacy of the past.
“Hey, you idiot. Come to your senses.”
“… … .”
“You are just wasting the opportunity that was given to you by heaven.”
Whether 300 years ago or now, those who learn ancient magic have always been called fools.
“What spells do you actually know how to cast, aside from spouting off knowledge of ancient magic? Aside from that one ridiculous torture spell?”
“That, that is… … .”
“You call yourself a wizard when you can only cast one spell? And that spell has a cooldown of over a month? Even the most common sorcerers you see in the marketplace can do that.”
“Th, th… …”
“Okay. If you have something to say, then say it. I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”
Becky crossed her arms and waited for Olivia to speak next.
After a long moment of silence, Olivia finally said the following:
“I’m sorry… … .”
“… … .”
Becky shook her head and sighed after hearing that.
“ha…….”
She also seemed uneasy.
“Olivia.”
“… … .”
“I just want you to face reality. I was once like you.”
Becky continued.
“If I just learn illusion magic, I’ll eventually become stronger. Well, I lived with that thought for several years… … .”
She stopped talking with a blank expression on her face.
“Ha, what am I saying now?”
“… … .”
“Anyway, don’t take it too aggressively. I said it all out of consideration for you.”
Becky’s voice was full of sincerity.
“Oh, thank you.”
Olivia, who felt it, couldn’t say anything and just lowered her head.
Thud thud thud─.
The movement began again. No one opened their mouths.
“… … .”
“… … .”
The inside of the ruins was quiet, as if the fighting was over.
Suddenly, the sound of explosions that had been coming from far away was no longer heard.
While we were walking like that for a while, Riley spoke to us.
‘By the way, Master Magus.’
[why.]
‘You wouldn’t know, Master Magician. Whether the ancient magics in fairy tales actually existed or not.’
[Yeah. I know.]
Having lived for tens of thousands of years, I have experienced the entire history of magic.
Of course, that period also included the era of ancient empires.
‘Then whose words are true?’
Riley asked again.
‘Is ancient magic just an illusion, or is it something that actually existed in the past?’
I answered.
[Olivia is right. Ancient magic really did exist.]
“… … .”
[That wasn’t just a fairy tale. Rather, it was a history.]
One order cleared the mountain.
Split the sea in half.
Also, the enemy army was annihilated.
Of course, there were some parts that had been adapted over the years of oral transmission, but those fairy tales were indisputably true.
[It’s all a legend that my disciples and I created.]
‘If this really happened, why do people forget it?’
[The power of time is that terrifying.]
I continued.
[You must know this, because you learned it from Retemis. Magic is deeply related to the flow of history.]
Time goes by.
Hundreds of years.
And hundreds of years more.
-Wow!
-Long live His Majesty the Emperor!
-Viva!
The era of war has come to an end.
The great war that had thrown the entire continent into chaos had finally ended.
The empire unified the continent.
It was thanks to having powerful archmages on their backs.
The emperor who unified the continent named the country the “Ritas Empire” and declared an era of peace for the entire continent.
Peace came to the entire continent.
There was no more war.
[It hasn’t been long since the continent was unified, so the aftereffects of the war still remain. For now, the people’s livelihood is more important than anything else.]
“… … .”
[The Empire sent the wizards to the research lab. Since the war was over anyway, there was no need for war wizards anymore. They decided that it would be better to use that time to study magical engineering for the convenience of the people.]
For the sake of the people, magical engineering was developed to help the lives of the people of the empire.
[Due to the war, dungeons were created all over the territory and had to be dealt with. The wizards began researching new magic to efficiently conquer dungeons.]
For efficiency, pathfinding was developed to help with clearing dungeons.
[But if you use strong magic like during war inside the dungeon, you’ll be in big trouble. If you do that, the ceiling will collapse and you’ll all be buried and die.]
“… … .”
[Spells that are powerful but have a narrow range and high hit rate are starting to become more and more powerful.]
For safety, a modern magical system was developed that emphasizes speed and accuracy.
[But the wizard’s explosive firepower is no longer useful.]
“… … .”
[As I said, the war is over.]
Didn’t I tell you?
The name itself is ancient magic.
A magic used in the old days.
A system that is rarely used now.
If you put it nicely, it’s traditional, but if you put it badly, it’s old-fashioned… … .
[Since there was no one to look for them, the lineage naturally broke off, magical materials were lost, and members of the school that had been continuing on from time to time starved to death because they could not find jobs… … .]
“… … .”
[Of course, as the empire became more stable, a small number of people began to take an interest in ancient magic.]
“… … .”
[But what can we do? The gap in history has already become too long?]
Ancient magic was real.
It was a legend created by me and my disciples.
But as time passed… … .
The legend became a tale.
The tale became a fairy tale.
The fairy tale has become an illusion.
There is no one left who remembers the legend that once existed.
[It feels a bit bitter to say this.]
Riley asked after a moment of silence.
‘Then, Master Magus, do you still remember how to use ancient magic?’
[… … .]
‘Not the crappy one month cooldown torture spells. I’m talking about ‘real’ ancient magic that can split seas, destroy mountains, and stuff like that with a single spell.’
[Phew… … .]
I sighed and answered.
[… … Yeah. Of course I remember.]
I smiled bitterly.
[But then what do you do?]
“… … .”
[I have no more use for it.]
An era of peace.
People no longer remember the ancient magic.
