The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Chapter 80
trace (4)
Imperial Tower’s direct affiliated ancient university research society.
As was the case elsewhere in the empire, academic societies were usually evaluated on authority and performance rather than knowledge. Without performance, it was difficult to get a foothold in the society, and unless you were an authority, your theories were rarely accepted.
But this place was a severe case.
“… … Here we go again.”
“Tsk. Aren’t you tired?”
The gazes at Layton, who attended the conference, were cold.
Ancient universities were a field of study far removed from people’s interest.
A discipline that is only full of romance and has no realism.
That is why there was no new wind blowing to purify the stagnant waters, and the entire academic society was dominated by old people who were called authorities and talked back.
Opinions that run counter to their theories are immediately ignored and thoroughly eliminated. They are also ridiculed in the name of revision and left to crumble alone.
In that way, even those who remain disappear one by one.
However, Layton, who consistently attends conferences despite being so disliked, could be said to be the very headache of the academic world.
His position was made abundantly clear as the conference progressed.
“In this way, ancient magicians developed magical tools and spells to identify the enemy’s location. If you look here, you can see that the author is emphasizing the importance of color… … .”
“Hey! Look at this, Layton.”
“… … Yes, Mr. President. Please speak.”
“This is a place to discuss and prove the historical facts of ancient times, not a place to spout off your fantasies.”
“Phew… … !”
“Poohaha!”
“… … .”
There was laughter all around, but no one tried to break the mood.
The atmosphere of contempt and ridicule for a single scholar had become all too familiar.
And in that atmosphere, Layton opened his mouth, which had been silent.
“You could dismiss it as a delusion. However, this is a theory that is based on ancient texts and historical background… … .”
“Then, tell me. It is known that ancient magic was far more advanced than modern magic, so why would such magicians have to rely on magical tools like ‘color magic’?”
“… … Not only is it not very efficient to use magical power to scan the surroundings, it’s also not something that ordinary soldiers can use. That’s why the detection magic I studied would be useful among magicians.”
“So you’re saying that’s your delusion?”
The president of the society, who was full of laughter and ridicule, crossed his legs and sneered.
“In the past when magic was developed, weren’t there magicians who moved with soldiers? And you must know that the magic directly controlled by humans is more precise and reliable.”
“Then at least review the research content… … .”
“If you bring up this kind of topic one more time, you will be permanently expelled from the society for disrespecting it.”
“……All right.”
Layton came down from his seat weakly, hugging the books that had been placed on the stage.
Behind him, countless mocking gazes were pointed like arrows.
To him, the Federal Empire’s academic society was too rotten.
* * *
“Okay, just wait a moment.”
The girl who was guarding the checkout counter at the bookstore ran somewhere as quickly as possible when she called her father.
Normally, in this situation, the first priority would be to ask who the other person was and what their intentions were, but it seemed like none of that was done.
… … Well, I guess I’m just glad that guests came to visit.
Squeak-!
While I was waiting, I pulled up a chair in the bookstore and sat down.
The chair was covered in dust, but it didn’t bother me that much.
The two people who had been together since the rooftop had the same doubts about this situation.
“Bookstore… … Do you think Your Majesty would like to find out information about ancient magic here?”
Matapju expressed his doubts.
But it was too small and unappealing a bookstore to be considered that way. It was too ordinary, without any sense of generality.
There was no point in coming all the way to the Federal Empire. It was also really questionable to call the girl’s father.
But I had my mind set on it all.
“The ancient magic has long since been lost. So it would be best to ask someone who knows about its whereabouts.”
“So, you’re saying that you know the whereabouts of the girl and her father?”
“You will know when you see it.”
“Ugh… … .”
Matapju nodded his head, letting out a faint exclamation.
It was today that he brought up the story of ancient magic. However, the First Prince guided him so calmly as if he had already known that such a story would come up. And to no other place than the Federation Empire.
The steps that came close to that certainty remained questionable throughout.
‘How on earth do you know something like that…?’
At this point, don’t you know more than those who are called wise?
In the direction of the gaze of the magician, George, who had become accustomed to such things, was seen looking at books.
Of course, I gave up reading it as it was still covered in dust.
“… … It doesn’t look like an ordinary bookstore. It’s comprehensive, but there are also quite a few books related to magic.”
“Yes. He himself would have needed to read books related to magic.”
“You are talking about the girl’s father.”
At Matapju’s words, I picked up a book that was lying next to the chair.
… … It just so happened to be a basic magic book.
‘Would you really let me learn it once?’
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My earnest gaze turned to George. I had experienced the convenience of magic while traveling with the Archmage. It would be even more convenient if there was a wizard who could always be with me.
At that moment, the guy began to tremble and look around, perhaps feeling an inexplicable sense of anxiety.
“Ugh, did a ghost appear?”
“… … .”
But would it be possible for him to learn magic sincerely?
Rather, it would be better if I just didn’t do what I was doing. I sighed and put the book down.
How much time had passed like that? As George, who had been absentmindedly picking through his books, was starting to tire, the girl who had been guarding the counter came back.
Behind her was a middle-aged man with a thick head of hair.
And the man… … .
“My name is Layton, and I am from the Ancient University Society. I heard you came to see me.”
At least to me, he was one of the familiar characters.
A wizard who studies ancient history. And a scholar who unlocks various secrets of the ancient times.
I got up from my seat, my lips curled into a long smile hidden under my robe.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“… … Oh, so you’re saying you came here because you had something to ask of me?”
“hmm.”
Was it the saying, “Father follows daughter”? Just like his daughter, he couldn’t hide his surprise the moment he heard her voice.
He gulped as he watched me approaching him.
“This may be rude of you to ask, but are you by any chance a member of the Imperial Family of the Federation Empire?”
“Why did you think so?”
I asked that question and then stopped Matapju, who was about to say something, with a wink.
The sight might have seemed suspicious, but Layton didn’t seem to notice.
“Something, it was an atmosphere I had never felt from other nobles, so… … .”
“I see.”
“I’m sorry if I offended you.”
Each person has a certain aura that they can sense. Just as I could guess the identity of the 4th Prince just by looking at his movements, this man also seemed to sense a strange aura from me. Something different from other nobles.
After that, I didn’t add much, but I didn’t forget to make a few corrections.
“First of all, let’s say that he is a noble from a foreign country.”
“All right.”
It was a calm attitude, without any of the scholarly pretense.
“First, I will guide you inside.”
“Okay.”
The place we moved to after following Layton was a small room that appeared to be his personal laboratory.
The interior was so crowded with books piled up that it was hard to take a step, and the sunlight streaming in through the cracks in the windows was so dusty that it seemed as if the ventilation wasn’t even good.
But he paid no attention and pushed the books away, and when he finally secured at least some space, he looked at the group and said.
“It’s shabby, but come in.”
Still, after cleaning up the interior, there was some space to stand. At least it was better than before.
At that moment, as my eyes scanned the interior, something that looked like a handwritten notebook came into view.
“Detection magic?”
“… … Oh, is this what you mean?”
I read it following the text on the cover.
At this, Layton explained with an awkward smile, as if he was a little embarrassed.
“This is what I presented to the academic community this morning. It was pretty much rejected.”
“You got rejected?”
“Yes. It was a study on ancient magic, but it seems that they judged that there was insufficient historical basis.”
Of course, that wasn’t all, but Layton didn’t think it was necessary to tell such a story to the guests who suddenly came to see him.
But my thoughts were different after I picked up the notebook and saw the words on the cover.
“Can I check it out?”
“Yes… Yes? That’s it?”
He scratched his shaggy head. A bitter look appeared on his tired face.
“If you’re interested, then that’s fine… … but since this is a topic that has already been refuted, it probably won’t be of much use. In the first place, it’s not something nobles should spend time reading… … .”
“It is for me to decide whether it is useful or not.”
It’s not like there was no hint of anything there at all.
I opened the notebook and checked its contents. Soon, it came to me as a conviction as I turned each page.
‘……also.’
If it’s great, then it’s great.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have tried so hard to remember.
But that thought was short-lived.
Soon my gaze turned to Matapju, and he took the note from my hand without saying anything.
And as time passed and he turned the pages of the notebook, the expression on Matapju’s face as he skimmed through the contents seemed to change from mild surprise at first, to interest, and then to a more serious expression as he went on.
I asked him after some time had passed.
“What do you think?”
“… … This seems to be a paper based on factual facts. It actually resembles the form of magic I am guessing.”
“I see.”
What he was guessing was aspects of ancient magic that he had guessed from traces.
Since it is a combination of the knowledge and information of the Archmage, it can be seen that this thesis is quite accurately structured.
Of course, that was a given.
“Well, at least it helps.”
“I think we need to look into it a little more… … .”
widely-!
Ma-top-ju, who had closed the book with a loud noise, nodded as he realized something.
When I finally reached out my hand into the air, a blue aura was already clearly visible from my fingertips.
“… … I think I know what it feels like.”
And the magician began to draw a picture in the air.
