책 먹는 마법사

For the next two days, Theodore stayed at the residence of Earl Bergen and focused
on deepening his connection with Mitra. There was a lot of information flowing from
her after she evolved to the level of a lieutenant. It wasn’t to the extent that Theo
couldn’t withstand it, but an adjustment period was needed. It was his routine to play
with Mitra anyway.

While watching Theo, Vince opened his mouth and said, “Elementalists have trained
for more than 10 years to call lieutenant level elementals… The meeting with the high
elf is a huge opportunity for you.”

As he said, a lieutenant level elemental wasn’t something easily gained.

For magicians of the 4th Circle and above, a lieutenant elemental was the exclusive
possession of elementalists who had gone beyond the beginner level. An elementalist
in contract with a lieutenant elemental would gain the power and resistance of the
attribute, and could borrow the power at will without asking the elemental.

That was just like Theodore, who was playing with Mitra.

[Midra?]

“Yes, Mitra.”

A little girl-shaped doll sprang from the ground when he pointed. The doll resembled
Mitra, causing the real Mitra to tilt her head with curiosity.

Mitra watched the doll with a bewildered expression before laughing and hugging it.
[Fwen!]

‘Is she asking if it’s a friend?’

Mitra liked the doll and locked arms with it.

Theo adjusted the doll to match her timing, which was a form of training for him in
controlling the earth. It felt like nature was an extension of his hands and feet.
Ordinary magicians couldn’t feel it, but it would obviously be a big help down the path.

Maybe this was a chance for him to jump over the ‘wall’ of the 6th Circle.

‘…My magic sensitivity is definitely more than it was a few days ago. Maybe now I can
use 5th Circle magic continuously?’

On average, the magic that a magician could use immediately was about half of their
current circles. 4th Circle magicians could cast 2nd Circle magic instantly, while
depending on their abilities, some 5th Circle magicians could cast 3rd Circle magic
immediately. Only a few geniuses born with a lot of sensitivity and great calculating
ability could climb to a higher level.

It was limited but Theodore had stepped into that area.

Seeing Theo’s growth, Vince had a gentle expression, but he then frowned suddenly. It
was because the last blow from he received the Janissary was causing his body to
throb with pain again. It took time for a wound from a master-class aura to heal, even
if he used expensive healing potions.

“Master, your wounds are still…?”

“Uhh, it is taking longer than I thought. It has improved a lot though.”

Theodore smiled bitterly. Vince’s injury weighed heavily on his chest, despite not
being responsible for it. He had requested for Ellenoa to heal him, but she had shaken
her head the moment she saw Vince’s wound.

–The perpetrator’s willpower contained in it is too strong. My abilities can only cure the
wounds of the flesh, meaning I can’t heal it before this willpower disappears.

–Then what should he do?

–It will naturally heal over time. Or he can get the blessing of a high priest.

However, it was difficult to find a high priest in Meltor, since it was a kingdom which
denied the existence of religion.
It was a wound which would heal in a month, so Vince chose to rest in Bergen. He
didn’t want to hold his disciple back due to his own mistake. Anyway, he had
experienced this type of injury many times.

‘The Magic Society knows the value of a high elf. I hope they send at least one person
with influence.’

If Blundell or Veronica came in person, then it would be okay if he was injured. Vince
looked over his own condition calmly and made a decision.

Then someone rushed over to the two people who were sitting in the garden. “Haidel!
Miller!”

It was an attendant of the manor. He came running over with a red face and opened
his mouth to speak as soon as he arrived in front of the two of them. It was an attitude
which placed priority on telling them the message over restoring his breathing. “E-
Earl Bergen said to come to the front door immediately! People from the capital are
here…!”

The two people instantly rose from their spots.

On the third day after the mission, the convoy from the capital arrived at Earl Bergen’s
estate.

(Y)

“Master,” Theo spoke as he followed Vince who was walking leisurely. It was only a
while ago that Theodore realized the meaning of the word ‘convoy.’

Why was it necessary to send a convoy when the Magic Society had space magicians?

“Can’t they just use Mass Teleport?”

It was a good question, but Vince shook his head.

“Elves are inherently magical, so they have a strong resistance to magic. Since they are
born with the blessing of nature, they tend to instinctively invalidate ‘magic’ used on
them.”

“…Even space magic?”

“Well, it would be impossible with ordinary elves. Space movement requires a
minimum of the 6th Circle, so it isn’t something that can be resisted.”

However, high elves were a little special. They calmed the surrounding mana just by
being present and unconsciously interfered with the activation of magic. It would be
a catastrophe if that came into contact with a precise magic like space magic.

This meant they had to use the land route to travel from Bergen to the capital; that
was why a convoy was sent. The convinced Theodore and Vince approached the main
gate from the mansion’s garden.

“Oh, you came!” A loud voice entered their ears.

Unlike Theo who frowned reflexively, Vince’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. He
never thought that such a person would participate in the convoy. It was a senior
magician who had lost his legs more than 10 years ago. He was a Prime rank magician
from the Red Tower, who had stepped back from the front lines.

“It is great to see you after a long time, Elder Herman.”

“Yes, it has been a while. Have you reached the 6th Circle? You were faster than I
expected!”

“Thank you.”

Herman sat on a wheelchair and celebrated Vince’s accomplishment. The pants

flapped loosely where his legs should be, but the hot magic power around his body
made up for that. Although he had lost a circle in the war with the Andras Empire, his
power was more than a 6th Circle magician.

Theodore gulped as he stared with admiration. ‘No, that isn’t the only great thing…!’

In addition to Herman, Elder Shugel from the White Tower and other veteran
magicians were standing behind him with exhausted faces. The people gathered here
could annihilate one or two great estates without a hitch. The convoy for the high elf
was actually this great.

Herman chatted with Vince for a while before suddenly turning his gaze to Theo. “Hoh,
this is the disciple who caught our Tower Master’s eyes?”
“E-Eyes?”

“Kulkulkul, there is no need to be embarrassed. Her temper is bad, but it is hard to find
a woman like that. A young person like you won’t break your back.”

Theodore blushed at the elder’s words. It was partly because Veronica’s appearance
rose in his head after he heard the explicit joke. Herman laughed at the naive response
and looked at the approaching elves. He could feel the presence of Ellenoa in the
center.

The mana seething around the powerful magician became calm. “Hoh… Is the child in
the center the high elf?”

The other magicians looked at Ellenoa with amazed eyes. It was hard to believe when
they heard the contents of the mission, but they were now actually seeing a real high
elf. For the magicians, today’s experience was like an expensive treasure. It was why
no one complained despite being sent here with no break after finishing their previous
assignment.

Ellenoa approached the convoy and greeted them politely, “It is nice to meet you. I am
a daughter of the Blue Evergreen Tribe and the tribe’s sixth dancer, Ellenoa.”

“I am the representative of the convoy, Herman Alphen. You must understand that this
old man is excited about the prospect of meeting you.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Herman.”

Ellenoa smiled sweetly and grabbed Herman’s hand. The light touch made him forget
his age as his vitality suddenly rose. He shook his head with admiration and
amazement. Herman knew the power of the high elf, which is why he wanted this
mission. Still, it was truly amazing.

The old magician shook it off and took her hand. “Then I will guide you. Please follow
me.”

He manipulated his chair with a familiar gesture and it started rolling somewhere.
Theodore and Vince followed Ellenoa and the convoy. It was a strange group for
anyone who didn’t know the details.

Fortunately, the destination wasn’t very far away. In the spacious backyard of Earl
Bergen’s manor, ‘it’ stood in the middle of an empty space.

“Now, this is the convoy we have prepared for you. I hope you like it.”

Theodore, Vince, Ellenoa, and the elves’ faces changed as they saw three ‘objects.’ They
were similar to wagons in that their framework and wheels were made of metal. Oddly
enough, there weren’t any animals in front of the wagons.

Flap… flap…

Theo spoke before anyone else could, “Why are there sails on a wagon…?”

The other people nodded in agreement.

The large wagons looked nice, but there were large sails on the roof and side. It was
made so that the sails could be folded and unfolded at any time, but this wasn’t a boat
made to cross the sea. Why would they be placed on wagons?

What acceleration was possible on the ground that was filled with all sorts of obstacles
and ramps? However, the magicians of the convoy just laughed triumphantly and got
onto a pedestal at the back of the wagons.

Herman then explained, “This wagon runs on the power of the wind and is called the
gust wagon.”

There was a limit to the speed of a vehicle, even if the weight of the body was lightened.

At first, the ‘speed’ crazy White Tower magicians had invented a technique to
accelerate the wagons using wind, but that wasn’t commercialized after more than a
thousand drivers were injured. A new concept magic wagon was later created, which
had two to three times the speed of conventional wagons. Theoretically, it could even
go up to five times.

“Come on, get in! I’ll show you what speed truly is!” Herman called out.

Theo and Ellenoa’s faces paled at the thought of passing through the mountains on the
carriage before them.

They didn’t want to ride in this type of thing…

Regardless of Theo’s and Ellenoa’s intentions, the procedures of the convoy proceeded
at a rapid pace. The magicians shook away the fatigue of the massive space movements
and were ready to leave in an instant.

They would be accompanied by a high elf. High elves were symbols of the elves, and
there were said to be less than 10 in the whole world. If Ellenoa died in the Meltor
Kingdom, there would be repercussions from Elvenheim.

It was confirmed that it had been the Austen Kingdom which had tried to capture the
high elf, so they still had a grace period left.

Herman gave a formal goodbye to Earl Bergen, “…Thank you for your cooperation, Earl
Bergen. His Majesty will keep your loyalty in mind.”

“Ohh, such glorious words! I was just doing my duty as a servant of the Meltor
Kingdom. Herman, you don’t need to give such flatteries.”

Indeed, it was the eloquence of a noble family. The earl’s smooth answer humbled
himself without losing his dignity. However, Herman merely waved his hands. “Hmm,
I understand. Excuse me.”

Unfortunately, Earl Bergen wasn’t aware that Red Tower magicians didn’t care about
things like that. Instead of giving the anticipated answer, Herman indeed left the earl’s
office, and only the sound of the wheelchair’s rolling could be heard. There was no
time to build up a relationship.

Dururuk… dururuk…

Herman’s wheelchair rolled at a fast pace until it stopped in front of an old man. There
was no need to mention the identity of the old man wearing white robes.

Elder Shugel of the White Tower looked down at Herman and clicked his tongue. “How
can a conversation end in less than five minutes? Did you just throw a few words at
him? A person should use his mouth to get good treatment.”

However, Herman didn’t agree and scoffed at him. “Stop talking nonsense. If I keep
talking with that guy, we will be delayed at least for two hours, and won’t that be
foolish?”

“What is? Aish, it is no use talking to you. How can I teach manners to this ignorant
man?”

“At any rate, we can use teleportation. Don’t you know the importance of time? I’ll
think about it if you give me a pair of useless legs.”

Herman knocked on his loose pants, and Shugel was forced to step back. How could
he refute someone who didn’t even have legs to walk around? Even excellent healing
magic wasn’t enough to regenerate lost limbs. The two elderly men were always
arguing like this.

It would’ve continued for 10 more minutes if Vince hadn’t intervened with a bitter
smile. “Elder Herman, I need to talk to you.”

“Oh, Vince!”

The two elders stopped quarreling as if they had been waiting for this. The fierce
frowns and wrinkled expressions went away. They didn’t actually have any bad
feelings toward each other. After doing this for almost half a century, it had become
like a daily routine.

Shugel turned away first. “Hmm, then I’ll return to the capital first and we’ll meet again
there. The wind power may be a bit burdensome for you… Well, at this age, your joints
probably feel sore. Isn’t that right? Hahaha!”

“That damn old man…!” Herman stared at Shugel’s back but didn’t try to catch him to
start another fight. They were elders of the Magic Society and knew how to partition
things.

This was proven by the fact that a calm expression appeared on Herman’s face. “Yes,
what did you need?”

Vince started to tell the story he’d heard from Ellenoa the other day. He had been
accompanying Theo when she told them. Despite a ‘question and answer’ with
Gluttony, they hadn’t been able to find out the truth behind the incident. More than
anything else, the information they had was too lacking.

Herman’s expression became serious as he heard the story.

“I roughly understand.” Herman accepted the information with a tense expression. “It
is true that the agents from Austen kidnapped the high elf, but something separate
killed her guards?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

In the first place, abducting a high elf wasn’t that easy. Any mutant high elf would be
noticed by Elvenheim as soon as they were born, and it was a rule to send elite
warriors to escort the high elf to Elvenheim. The elites were of a warrior class among
the peace-loving elves and were equal to aura warriors.

They weren’t at the level that a unit with only one Janissary could kill. Yet Ellenoa
hadn’t been able to meet her guards.

“The escort from Elvenheim were eliminated without anyone knowing?”

“Perhaps. Ellenoa was caught by the Austen agents while waiting for her escorts. It
would be simple for her to escape, but her friends were captured as hostages, so she
couldn’t help being caught.”

“Hrmm… It is hard to judge. There are too many things we don’t know.”

The two people contemplated it for a while but couldn’t come up with any answers.

“It can’t be helped.” In the end, Herman came to a conclusion. “We need to move
quickly. It might’ve been quiet for a few days, but if they haven’t given up on the high
elf, just the power here can’t guarantee her safety.”

“Isn’t it better to stay here?”

“I would do that if there are no reinforcements coming.”

Herman didn’t lose his calm despite finding out about the threat. He noticed Vince’s
confused expression and tapped his forehead. It might be different for the other magic
towers, but there was only one person which a magician of the Red Tower would trust
with their lives.

“The Tower Master has been sent somewhere, but she is hurrying to join the convoy.
If we move toward the capital, we can meet up with her sooner.”

“Ah…!” Vince nodded at Herman’s words.

If they joined Veronica on the way, there was no need to be afraid of anyone. If the
enemy were strong enough to kill Veronica, they would all be dead no matter where
they were. Otherwise, Veronica would turn the enemy into chunks of charcoal.

Vince had been full of concerns about his disciple, but he could now calm down.

“Why are you feeling assured? Aren’t you leaving your disciple here?”

“I can’t do that.” Vince smiled bitterly at Herman’s question. “If ‘that bastard’ is
tracking the high elf, it is likely they will come to Theodore. It would be safer for Theo
to join the convoy and head to the capital.”

“I understand, but you will stay here?”

“I will grab the ankles of the enemies aiming for my disciple. If they come to me, I can
hold on for a few minutes.”

Vince was ready to die at any time. However, he didn’t want to die in front of Theodore.
Additionally, if his disciple were killed, then it would be the worst shame of Vince
Haidel’s life. A wounded person was a burden on the battlefield, so Vince couldn’t join
the convoy.

He was determined to remain alone in Bergen and risk his life to slow the enemy
down.

Herman nodded vigorously at this attitude. “I can’t stop someone who has already
decided. Do your best to defend yourself. We will safely escort your disciple along with
the high elf.”

“Thank you.”

The two of them shook hands. Rather than acting like senior and junior, they respected
each other as war mages who lived in the same era. Both of them might have
withdrawn from active service but the pride engraved inside was still the same.

Thus, the two war mages split apart at the crossroad.

(Y)

Unlike normal wagons, the White Tower magicians climbed into the back seat and
shouted in a loud voice, “Now then, let’s go!”

Simultaneously, the three wind turbines moved the wheels in turn. The wind coming
from the magicians at the rear caused the sails to blow up halfway, as it started to
move at a speed similar to a horse-drawn carriage.

Theo was astounded as he watched the process. “Wow, almost one hundred magic
spells are used to drive this wagon… What is this obsession?”

Magic to adjust friction of the wheel, magic to balance the body of the carriage, magic
to reduce air resistance, magic to automatically adjust the direction with wind…

Theo was convinced that he could buy dozens of artifacts with the money and effort
used to make the wagon. This was the crystallization of the madness which desired
that wagons ran on wind power.

Theo looked back and forth while watching the wind power. ‘Moreover, there is tight
security. It would be hard to come within 50 meters even with Canis’ level of stealth.’

As the wind blew, Herman and the Red Tower Magicians proceeded around the border
while also sticking closely to Theo and Ellenoa. They could buy some time even if a
Master level enemy attacked.

Due to Vince telling them about the enemy, the vigilance of the convoy was at its peak,
and they would continue moving with maximum vigilance until Veronica joined. As
the wind increased, the wagons created by the magicians of the White Tower started
to reach its full speed.

Huuuuuuong!

‘What is this?’

After hearing the strange wind sound, Theo and Ellenoa cried out as they looked out
the window.

“Heok…!”

“Oh my god…!”

There was hardly any inertia inside, but the landscape outside the window was
passing by at a truly terrifying rate. It was a speed which quickly distorted the trees
and bushes. Theo now understood why they had been warned not to reach their hands
out. If they hit something at this speed, there would be enough force to break their
bones.

Mitra was also shaking as she looked out the window.

[Hoeee~]

Her eyes spun around like a vortex, as if she was dizzy by the scenery passing at a fast
pace. Theo grabbed hold of her small body while analyzing the principles of the wind.
The more he looked, the crazier the wagon seemed.

‘I understand the principles behind it, but I can’t follow it.’

Theo was convinced after a short moment that this was a feat only possible for those
who devoted their lives to wind magic and were at least of the 5th Circle.

It was easy to blow wind into the sails and accelerate. However, they needed to take
care of the air resistance and headwind while making sure that the power didn’t
scatter. It was like using five different spells at the same time.

Rather than using magic, it was a technique closer to controlling magic power.

“…Maybe we really will arrive in one day?” Theo had honestly thought it was a bluff,
but it wasn’t impossible if this speed was maintained.

The distance covered would normally take a week for a top level company. If this
ridiculously fast method were to be known, the Meltor’s Merchants Association might
go on strike. Theodore looked at the receding Bergen with half admiration and half
anxiety.

He prayed unconsciously in his mind. ‘Please let this convoy reach the capital safely.’
Then he would be able to reunite with his master, Vince.
The three gust wagons rushed down the mountains.

Transformed into the wind itself, the wagons occasionally ran into monsters
obstructing the way. The wagons slammed into kobolds and goblins with huge
destructive power and turned them into blood on the wheels of the wagons.

Even big monsters like trolls and ogres couldn’t escape dying.

Kwang!

It seemed like the number of those killed by the wagons had increased by one.

‘Wow, isn’t it completely shattered?’ Theodore clicked his tongue as he watched the
blue blood scattering outside the window. Since the blood was blue and there were
the remains of an insect, it must’ve been a giant mantis which was crushed.

A threatening monster which even first-class mercenaries were afraid of had been
destroyed by the wagon. On the contrary, the wagon didn’t feel the impact at all.

‘Maybe this could be used as a weapon?’ Theo rejected it as soon as he had the thought.
‘…No, it is impossible.’

The wagon had great power and speed, but the workforce required to get the most out
of the wind power was too advanced. Rather than assigning a few 5th Circle magicians
to a wagon, it was more efficient for them to fight directly.

He shook off the thought and turned to Mitra who was playing in the seat next to him.

[Hoi!]

Pororong.

She was playing with the sylph Ellenoa had summoned. The elemental, which looked
like a translucent sparrow, spread its wings at Mitra’s signal. The scene of a little girl
and a bird playing together happily was like an illustration from a fairy tale book.
Theo’s heart calmed down slightly at the sight.

At that moment, he felt a soft touch as fingers entwined with his.

“Eh, Ellenoa?”

Theo looked down at his hand and was shocked as he realized the identity of the other
person. It was because Ellenoa, sitting across from him, was holding his hand. The
pleasant sensation of her slim, soft hand was vividly transmitted through the palm of
his hand. This was despite him knowing that Ellenoa was a neutral gender.

However, her voice was as calm as always as she said, “Are you worried about your
mentor?”

Those words pierced right inside of Theo.

His blushing complexion instantly turned pale. His thoughts turned grim as soon as
he thought about his mentor, Vince, volunteering to stay behind in Bergen. They had
talked a few times about the decision, but Theo still couldn’t fully understand it.

To Theodore Miller, Vince was his one-of-a-kind mentor, and his value was
immeasurable.

“Yes, that’s right.” Theo nodded with a bitter smile.

It was funny that he was worried about his mentor, but Vince was in an injured state.
According to Shugel, Vince’s injury would worsen if he moved using space magic. Theo
was reluctant to let such a person act as bait.

Then Ellenoa squeezed his hand and whispered in a small voice, “Don’t be too
concerned. His fate has yet to reach the time when the knot will be tied.”

“Huh?” Theo’s eyes widened at the words.

He would’ve ignored her if she were a fortuneteller on the streets, but Ellenoa was a
mysterious high elf. Furthermore, elves were a species famous for not being able to
tell lies. Theo mulled over the meaning of Ellenoa’s words before asking in a trembling
voice, “…Ellenoa, can you see the future?”
Seeing the future—or in other words, Foresight—was a type of power given to gods,
demons, and ancient dragons a long time ago. The weakness of mortals was always
time, as they feared the future. So, the prophets who could see the future were
considered as gods.

Ellenoa was a descendant of an ancient species, but could a high elf really see the
future? In response, Ellenoa shook her head with a subtle expression. “It isn’t anything
so tremendous. I can just understand when the ‘end’ comes. It is a half-power that
appears when I’m in danger.”

“No, but…!” Theo tried to say something more, but he soon fell silent.

Ellenoa wouldn’t lie just to reassure him. As long as his mentor was safe, there was
nothing more to ask. Besides, there was something he should say first before
questioning Ellenoa’s abilities.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“It is nothing.”

It was an appreciation for exposing her ability in order to comfort him. As Theo’s face
brightened a little bit, Ellenoa smiled and shook her head. Then Mitra leaned back and
fell to the floor of the carriage.

[Heeeng?!]

The awkward air in the wagon broke.

“Pfff!”

“Ahaha!”

The atmosphere inside the wagon became brighter, and as the two people laughed at
Mitra’s behaviour, Mitra hit Theo’s feet with a sulky expression. Her gesture was telling
them not to laugh, but it just made the duo laugh even more.

As the pleasant sound emerged from the windows, the wagons passed by the middle
point of the mountain range thanks to the wind power.

How long had they been on the mountain trail? Around this time, the sun was going
down, so the magicians lowered the pace and handed Theo a package. The identity of
the small bag was soon revealed.

“This is your meal with Ellenoa.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Theo picked up the bag and placed it on a table in the center of the wagon. He hadn’t
realized it, but he was really hungry. Theo opened the bag and pulled out a few fruits,
baked sweets, jerky, and two bottles of water. The fruits were probably prepared for
Ellenoa as the conventional wisdom was that elves didn’t enjoy eating meat.

However, Ellenoa denied it outright. “Well, it isn’t that we don’t enjoy meat. It’s just
that living beings are all the same, so is there a reason to discriminate between plants
and animals? Rather, our bodies will weaken if we don’t consume meat at all.”

“Uh, then why do the Elvenheim elves only eat fruits on their missions?”

“I’m not sure.” She ate an apple and thought about it for a while before answering the
question. “Maybe there is a problem with the way the meat is cooked?”

“The way it is cooked?”

“An elf’s tastebuds is a few times more sensitive than that of humans, so it is hard to
eat food with a lot of spices. I guess they only ate fruits that weren’t cooked separately.”
Ellenoa proved her words by eating the jerky. “We basically eat raw food, so there isn’t
much food that is cooked using fire. It is common to eat a fresh and lean cut of meat.”

Theodore involuntarily imagined the elves eating meat.

An elf hunter running through the forest, shooting a boar, and then cutting its flesh
with a dagger and eating it…

He imagined the elf’s mouth covered in blood and felt like his fantasies about elves
were being broken. It had been imagined that elves were graceful beings who enjoyed
fruit and tea leaves, as well as playing with wild beasts.

However, that was just a fantasy of humans.

 (Y)

It happened around the time when Theo had finished his meal and Ellenoa was putting
down the last apple core.

“2nd Car, 3rd Car, stop!”The wind power stopped after a yell was heard from outside
the window.

Thump.

Simultaneously, the door of their carriage opened, and a magician entered. The blue
robe indicated he was a Blue Tower magician, and he was powerful enough to make
Theo’s sensory perception tingle. The magician came from the third car which was
attached as an escort role and explained why the carriage had stopped so suddenly.

“The 1st Car that is 250 meters ahead has started to engage with something. We will
go again as soon as the ‘Clear’ signal is received, so Ellenoa shouldn’t worry.”

“Wait a minute. You aren’t joining the fight?” Theodore asked with a strange expression.

He was questioning a senior, but the magician replied calmly, “That’s right. The
formation of the Red Tower is so unique that is it different for other towers to fight
with them. Elder Herman is there, so there is no reason to join.”

“But what if—”

“If it can destroy the 1st Car in a short amount of time, there is no way to win even if
we join. And the important thing isn’t winning.”

They were escorts, not combatants. It was the duty of the convoy to deliver the high
elf, Ellenoa, safely to Mana-vil Capital. Even if they could defeat the enemy, they had to
first eliminate any possibilities of Ellenoa being harmed.

However, Theo had just been thinking about winning. The experiences he’d absorbed
were all about ‘fighting and winning,’ not escorting someone. Theo was convinced by
the difference and fell silent. No, he was forced to shut his mouth.

Kukukung…!

It was a Heat Wave Chain. As a pale red pillar rose in the distance, the earth started to
cry out.

It shook like an earthquake. A part of the dim sky became brighter. Clouds were torn
apart by the strong flames and explosions rang out. Despite the interval of a few
hundred meters, the mana in the atmosphere was struggling like crazy.

It was the aftermath of a magic collision which was at least of the 6th Circle!

“Kuk…!” Even the air touching Theo’s eyelids felt hot. A wind shield was opened in a
reflexive manner.

After using the cold magic, he felt the ambient temperature going down a little bit. If
there was this much heat from the aftermath, the center must be as hot as lava. It was
proof that Herman’s group was literally pouring out their power.

The total number of magic power detected with his senses were eight. ‘Five 5th Circle
magicians and three 6th Circle magicians.’

One of the 6th Circle magicians was half a step away from the boundary. It was without
a doubt Herman, who used to be at the 7th Circle. Just him alone was a huge threat.
No matter who the opponent was, they absolutely couldn’t be safe. Even if the
opponent was of the master level, this much firepower would be enough to take care
of them.

However, Theodore frowned instead of feeling relieved. Why? It wasn’t because of a

chill down his spine but cold air flowing from his left hand which tickled his bones.
Was it a warning from the sleeping Gluttony? Or maybe a feature he didn’t know about
had been triggered? Either way, there was no way to resolve the question immediately.

Kukung…! Kururung! Kung! The thunderous sound rang out repeatedly.

A fire pillar tore apart the clouds, and smoke which looked like a mushroom covered
the sky. It was magic which would tear apart any defenses Theodore had. Despite such
fearsome attacks being launched, the battle still hadn’t finished.

Shortly after that, all sound was cut off like it had been sliced by a sword.

··············

Silence covered the night sky, and the burning flames were overwhelmed by the
darkness of the night. A few burning treeS were the last remaining traces of the battle.
The silence was so clear that the sound of someone gulping could be heard.

“…Is it over?” Someone asked.

The signal indicating the end of the battle hadn’t risen yet. As the magicians of the 3rd
Car waited for instructions, ‘it’ fell from the night sky.

Tok, todok, tok…

It was dark red and round. The ungainly shape rolled forward between the two
wagons. Someone used ‘Light’ magic reflexively as the shape gradually grew clearer.

White hair turned to ashes, wrinkles distorted by burns, and eyes which were filled
with fear…

A name escaped from Theodore’s mouth, “…Elder Herman.”

It was the head of Herman, who had been brutally murdered.

The magicians from the magic towers looked at each other and wondered if they were
seeing a nightmare.

The sight of Herman’s head rolling on the ground didn’t feel like reality. He had lost a
circle due to injury, but his capabilities was still equivalent to the 7th Circle. Yet eight
war mages, including Herman, had been wiped out in just 10 minutes?

It was an opponent they absolutely couldn’t afford to go against.

“2nd Car, get ready! 3rd Car, get down and enter the 6th Combat Formation! Don’t
hesitate!” A thunderous shout emerged from the person who regained their mind first.
It was Anton, a veteran of the Blue Tower and the next highest ranking person in this
convoy after Herman.

Having many years of experience on the battlefield, Anton knew that unexpected
events could occur at any time. Thus, he made a cold judgement after the 1st Car was
suddenly annihilated. He didn’t forget to look ahead with observation magic while
giving instructions.

However, Anton couldn’t see beyond a physical barrier. “Tch, this is why fire-based
magic is so annoying…!”

The flames from the fire magic were blocking his sight. The battlefield contained a
distorted atmosphere due to the high temperatures, and the smoke rising from the
trees and the flames paralyzed his sight. It would take at least 30 more minutes until
it returned to normal.

Anton abandoned the task of identifying the enemy’s shape and moved quickly
towards the 2nd Car. Then he grabbed the shoulder of Theodore, who was sitting next
to Ellenoa.

“Hey, Newbie!”
“Yes?”

‘What?’ The reaction was better than Anton had expected. In this situation, Theodore’s
voice wasn’t shaking at all. His calm eyes, breathing, and magic power didn’t fit his age.
Above all, Theo had the atmosphere of a person who had experienced ‘real life.’ The
rumours about him being a great rookie seemed plausible.

After evaluating Theo, Anton spoke in a decisive voice, “Newbie, don’t think about
anything other than keeping her safe from now on. We will stay and buy as much time
as possible at least until Veronica comes. Do you understand?!”

“I will do my best.”

“You are an unusually careful person for a Red Tower magician. Okay, I’m going.” Anton
knocked against Theo’s shoulder several times, then he pushed them into the wagon
and shouted to the four magicians steering the 2nd Car, “Start right away! The
direction doesn’t matter, as long as you get as far as possible!”

At Anton’s words, a terrifying gust of wind emerged from the palms of the drivers. The
sails inflated again, and the wagon started running in the direction of the wind. As
expected from the White Tower, they confidently increased the pace.

It dug roughly into the ground before disappearing from Anton’s field of view. This
was all he could do.

“Now, then…” Anton looked around at his colleagues, who were gathered in the
formation unique to the Blue Tower.

Although their relationship with the Red Tower wasn’t good, it was never malicious or
hostile. Rather, it was closer than the relationships they had with the other towers
because of their arguments.

In the 1st Car, there had been someone who came to the capital at around the same
time as Anton. That man was a proud person, but Anton didn’t hate him.

Wuooooong…!

Unlike the Red Tower magicians who focused on firepower, the Blue Tower taught
mainly about working in conjunction with each other. They had the ability to share
magic and create a synergy which would maximize their strength. It was different in a
one-on-one fight, but in a fight with many people, the Blue Tower absolutely didn’t fall
behind the Red Tower.

‘The enemy is coming.’ In the centre of the formation, Anton stared at the front with a
firm expression.

Oddly enough, the mana was thinning. This was the sense of incongruity he felt before.
This existence was on a totally different dimension from senior magicians and sword
masters, as it could overwhelm the world with just its presence. His intuition noticed
the enemy’s greatness before it even arrived.

Soon, ‘something’ came out of the darkness.

Anton gazed at it and spoke with a bitter smile, “…Hah, this place is my grave.”

None of the other magicians refuted him. Just the fact that he could still open his
mouth meant that Anton deserved to be called the best magician here.

The intense fury they felt froze, but none of the seven magicians stepped back.

They began the battle where the outcome was already determined.

(Y)

Dududududu…! The gust wagon moved at a tremendous speed.

This was different from when they conserved strength for long-distance traveling. It
was literally an acceleration using all their strength! The four 5th Circle magicians
drew out all the magic power in their blood vessels, and this was the direct result of
that.

Every time the wagon hit a stone, their bodies would go up a few meters, but the
wagon continued running at full speed. There was no moment to spare for the high-
speed driving.

The atmosphere inside the wagon was cold as well.

‘An opponent that can kill Elder Herman is at least of the master level… There are few
kingdoms which could such such power for a dangerous infiltration operation.’
Theodore analyzed the situation calmly. When he faced a crisis, the experiences he
absorbed were worth their weight in gold.

An unidentified opponent had appeared at the head of the convoy, blocked the path,
and instantly annihilated the elite troops, including Elder Herman. A person who
could do such a thing should be a sword master from the Andras Empire, one of the
Seven Swords.

However, why would the Andras Empire take such a risk?

Based on the international situation, Theo immediately denied that possibility, ‘No,
even if one of the Seven Swords penetrated into Meltor, there is no guarantee that they
can return. Why would they risk one of the pillars of the empire? That is crazy.’

Additionally, the Andras Empire couldn’t get any benefits from a high elf, unlike
Austen. Their relationship with Elvenheim would get worse, and they could even lose
one of their precious sword masters. However, when he excluded the Seven Swords of
the Empire, there was nobody left. It was preposterous that an unaffiliated master
would be mobilized.

His logical reasoning couldn’t reveal the shadows behind this situation. While Theo
was frustrated over not finding an answer, the quiet Ellenoa opened her mouth,
“That… Is something scary happening because of me?”

“Ellenoa.”

“If I hadn’t left the village… if I wasn’t a high elf… this wouldn’t have happened, right?”

It was a very cruel question to affirm. More than anything, Ellenoa already knew the
answer without needing to hear Theo’s reply. However, Theo didn’t nod. Fortunately,
he was still young and had the innocence of looking at the world through good and
evil, not cause and effect. So, he was able to comfort Ellenoa.

Theodore grasped Ellenoa’s hands gently like she had done to him before. “Don’t
blame yourself.”

At the very least, she shouldn’t feel guilty.

“You are just a victim. You are the victim who is being chased after by evil just because
you are a high elf! Don’t act like you are the perpetrator of this.”
“B-But…”

“Or just feel sad. Don’t feel guilty.”

Even if all this happened because she was a high elf, the positions of perpetrator and
victim couldn’t be reversed. No, it shouldn’t be. According to that logic, the ones in the
wrong were the person scammed or the person murdered. It was something which
Theodore could never agree to.

Ellenoa was astonished by his hard-line attitude, but she immediately nodded with a
slight smile. At this moment when the atmosphere was about to loosen up…

Warak!

Theo ran desperately and hugged Ellenoa.

“T-Theodore!” Ellenoa blushed as she suddenly entered his arms, but that quickly
faded away.

Theo was so pale that he almost looked bloodless. With a face that seemed like he
wasn’t breathing, Theo quickly got up. His sensory perception told him that danger
was nearing!

‘Impossible! It caught up already?!’

Not only had it broken through the elites of the 3rd Car, it had caught up with the
wagon which was moving at the maximum speed!

A sword master’s physical abilities might be called strange, but the enemy
approaching this wagon was a monster which deviated from common sense. It wasn’t
possible with the legs of a human. Then a cold chill on his neck pierced that thought.

There wasn’t even time to speak a word of warning.

Chill.

The illusion of the reaper’s scythe was at his neck.

“Protection!” Theodore screamed the spell and jumped out of the gust wagon. Within
his arms, Ellenoa was surely protected as Theo threw himself out of the fast-paced
wagon. The damage from the drop and collision with the ground was huge, causing
the 5th Circle defense spell to be half broken.

However, his judgement was correct. The moment the two of them escaped from the
gust wagon, a huge shadow fell on top of the roof.

‘…!!!’

It was like a meteor had fallen from the sky as the gust wagon was smashed. A large
shock wave spread from the impact of the collision with the trees nearby, forcing Theo
to use defense magic again.

‘What is with that shock wave…!?’

The shock wave wasn’t magic but a phenomenon generated due to a surge of pure
physical power!

Theo’s stricken face looked at the dust which had risen at the point of collision. He
could even believe it if this shock wave were the enemy’s attack. If he hadn’t used
defense magic, Theo’s and Ellenoa’s guts would be crushed like rotten tomatoes.

Theo managed to survive the attack and stepped back a few meters with Ellenoa.

He had no thoughts about running away. Theo was just overwhelmed by the eerie
presence which could be sensed from within the cloud of dust. Whatever it was, it
wasn’t something which could be faced with the power of the duo.

A sharp fear pushed down his curiosity. He would rather have that dust cloud cover
his eyes forever. However, the wind blew it away.

Hwiuooong…

As the dust settled, the first thing he saw was the crushed wreckage of the gust wagon.
There were traces of blood from the drivers everywhere as well as a gruesome shape
in the corner.

Theo clenched his teeth as he faced the wriggling shadow. Finally, the identity of the
assailant was revealed to the two people.

‘…Ah.’ Theodore Miller understood now.

This was the incarnation of death, the materialization of fear in a solid form. It wasn’t
a human. No, it wasn’t like any creature he knew. The ugly and powerful monster was
too ambiguous and disorderly to name. It couldn’t be called anything but chaos.

With eight twitching legs, the lower half of its body resembled a spider. The body itself
consisted of a mixture of leather and carapace. There was a scorpion-like tail which
scattered blue lightning, and four different claws bit at the air.

No, that was wrong too. The strange body changed its appearance to the parts of other
creatures. It now had the arm of an ogre and the horns of a minotaur. Like a wyvern,
wings sprouted from its back, but scales covered its skin.

The unidentified monster turned Theo’s and Ellenoa’s minds blank.

However, there was a separate existence which responded to the appearance of the
monster.

–Hrmm.

A hole appeared on Theo’s left palm, and a low voice was transmitted in a low-
frequency range which insects could hear. The greedy grimoire, Gluttony, growled in
a voice which was several times more unpleasant than usual.

-Pride, that disgusting appearance of yours still hasn’t changed.

The monster approaching them suddenly stopped in place. It looked confused by

Gluttony’s voice, then it suddenly hit its head with a sharp claw. The behaviour looked
like an act of self-harm, but a mouth appeared in the previously smooth head. Then
like Gluttony, it started to talk in a low frequency.

–You still have the habit of being attached to inferior species like humans, Gluttony.
Ellenoa was surprised by the monster’s sudden stop, but as Theodore shared senses
with Gluttony, he could hear the conversation between Gluttony and Pride. The voices
which spoke in the low-frequency range were not at all gentle. The disgust they had
toward each other was clear and out in the open.

In particular, Pride (Superbia) spoke with outright disdain, –You are still obsessed with
inferior monkeys. It is shameful to classify you as one of the Seven Sins. What is the value
of those who rely on time and luck?

–Beauty and intellect is a concept that a mass of flesh like you won’t understand.

Gluttony didn’t back down and gave as good as it got.

–No matter how you collect and combine genetic factors, you are still limited to living
creatures. You are nothing but a loser who has given up on surpassing the limits of a
species. Gathering the best parts of creatures, isn’t that nothing more than a chimera?

–Nonsense! Pride dismissed Gluttony, speaking with the arrogance it was named after.

Now, the vocal range was lowered even further. The sound caused Theo and Ellenoa
to feel discomfort as they sat down. The unheard shout broke the spirits of the two
people. It was a terrifying threat associated with Dragon Fear, something which
appeared in forgotten legends.

“Cough!” Theo coughed up some blood. Following the series of shock waves, his circles
were strongly shaken by Pride’s shouts. If a human didn’t know magic or aura, their
heart would’ve stopped.

The enemy’s very existence was different, allowing Theo to feel the gap directly with
his body.

‘Damn it. What the hell is this monster? Why is it attacking us?!’ Theo’s hysterical
question was thrown out without him expecting an answer.
-The autonomous maneuver type grimoire, Superbia. Like me, it belongs in the Seven Sins
set. If the attribute I symbolize is [Gluttony], then it is [Pride]. It is a ‘species usurper
specialist’ and is made up of the species it eats.

Gluttony returned with a clear answer as always.

Theo quickly picked out some keywords and asked another question. He had a feeling
that this information would determine the life and death of the two of them. ‘Usurping
species? Is that Pride’s power?’

–That’s right.

Theodore listened without missing a single word.

-Just like I am a grimoire that collects magic books, it is a grimoire that collects
creatures. It has the ability to store the genetic information of a species, regardless of the
individual performance of the organism. Once it eats a sample of a species, it can
reproduce the innate traits of that species.

‘The innate traits?’

–For example, a troll’s regeneration or an ogre’s muscular strength.

That was enough. Theo’s expression turned into one of fright as he understood Pride’s
power.

Pride had the ability to eat a species and gain its best traits! It wasn’t inferior to
Gluttony’s ability to extract essences from magic books or magic power from artifacts.
No, it might even be superior when it came to fighting.

Moreover, based on the horrible creature, the traits which could be reproduced didn’t
stop at just one or two.

‘How many traits can it use at the same time?’

–Hmm. Gluttony looked at Pride for a moment before replying. –It has already unlocked
four seals. Right now, it can use five combined… User, do you mean to fight Pride?

‘What choice do I have?’

–There is no need. He didn’t come to eat us.

‘What?’

The one who answered Theo’s question wasn’t Gluttony, but Superbia who had been
thinking about something.

–Well, it is good. It is a waste of time to chat like this.

The eight legs started advancing. As the ugly form leapt forward, Theo naturally
stepped out in front of Ellenoa and raised his magic power. Theo’s sensory perception
was telling him to run away, but his human instincts made him act. He couldn’t seem
to run away after thinking of the sacrifices the senior magicians had made.

Then Superbia asked in a strange voice, –What are you doing, Gluttony? I came to eat a
high elf. I have no interest in a monkey.

“…Don’t make me laugh.” Theo ignored his spasm of fear, and while staring at Superbia,
he declared firmly, “I won’t give anything to you.”

It was a courageous action which deserved a standing ovation.

-Then die. The predator sentenced him to death without any hesitation.

Pride changed in an instant. Its eight spider legs turned into four horse legs, while the
upper body became a weird mixture of a locust and grasshopper. It quickly shifted to
three traits which would produce results: a centaur’s lower body; a storm locust’s
wings; and a spriggan’s acceleration ability.

–Swaeeeeek!

It moved beyond the barrier of sound as the hooves, containing enough destructive
power to crush steel, slammed toward Theodore’s body.

‘Ah, I’m doomed.’ Theo was sure he would die from the blow.

His body couldn’t even grasp the timing of the acceleration of the huge body, let alone
respond to the attack. So, it wasn’t Theodore who responded to the death blow, but
the instincts of Lee Yoonsung who was sleeping inside him.
Kwaduduk…!

The skill, Protection Bangle, was activated. Three shields unfolded around Theo’s body
in a reflexive manner, then Theo used his magic power.

‘Battle Song.

‘Last Requiem.

‘Presto.’

Battle Song revolved all five circles and improved his reaction speed to the maximum
for a moment.

The monster’s horse hooves were crazy fast, and Theo sank deep into his
consciousness in order to use a secret technique to survive. It was one of the most
advanced techniques in the eastern martial arts, Force Dispersion. (TL: literal meaning
is using 4 taels of force to win against 1000 jin, or using a little amount of force to win
over a greater force)

Theo’s two arms moved at a dizzying speed.

Paaaang!

Despite alleviating a lot of the damage, Theo was thrown back like his arms were
broken. The shock wave, which threw Theo, shattered seven trees and the rocks
behind him. If the shock wave had hit him directly, it would’ve wreaked havoc on his
body!

“Cough!”

Although the the attack hadn’t even hit Theo, it snapped several of his ribs. While
sitting down, Theo used healing magic. He was pushed to Ellenoa’s side due to the
shock wave, but he was too shocked to be aware of it.

It was commendable that Theodore had managed to defend himself, but he couldn’t
do it again. He couldn’t afford to be hit by Superbia even once.

‘If I get hit one more time… I will die.’

Putting aside winning or losing, Theo would just die. Superbia’s resistance was at least
of the master level. Considering Theo’s luck, winning wasn’t even an option. He would
just struggle desperately until he died like a bug. There was a terrible gap in strength
between Superbia and Theodore.

However, Superbia laughed at Theo on the ground before giving one last ridiculing
remark.

–You are quite good for a monkey. I will forgive this once.

It didn’t say anything else as its eyes stared at Theodore. There were six pairs of
compound eyes which could observe 360 degrees. The red light coming from the eyes
induced a horror which humans couldn’t face. Their minds would likely be broken by
the sight.

As for Theo, he could stay as he was. Then he could survive. It might be cowardly, but
survival was his first priority. Gluttony had advised Theo that he could survive if he
just stayed still. Gluttony whispered like a snake for Theo to turn away from the high
elf shivering by his side. It wasn’t a bad thing to run away.

‘…I’m crazy.’ Theodore smiled and slapped his cheeks hard.

Jjak! Blood filled his mouth, but that was good.

Theo didn’t have to listen to this voice. The magic, which had subsided due to fear and
powerlessness, began to boil again. Still, there was no chance of winning, so Theo
asked his companion for advice, ‘Gluttony.’

–What?

‘Tell me how to defeat it. No, it is okay if I can’t win. Teach me how to beat up that son
of a bitch.’

Despite being a grimoire like Gluttony, the opponent was an independent monster
which didn’t need a user. If so, Theo wouldn’t be able to catch it unless Gluttony
cooperated.

Feeling Theo’s strong intentions, Gluttony asked in an uncomfortable voice, –Why

User? Why try so hard? This high elf isn’t that precious to you.
‘I’m not fighting for that reason.’

If Theo compromised once, it was easy to do so a second time. The third time would
be even easier. Theodore Miller would become someone who was alive due to his
cowardice. He would rather die of his own will than become a cowardly bystander.

Theo’s voice, filled with a determination to die, was transmitted strongly to Gluttony,
whom Theo was connected to.

This was a foolish, irrational judgement. However, Gluttony drawn to the unknown
choice. -…Okay. I will pay the price in advance. This is the first time I’ve had a user like
you.

Gluttony’s previous users had always been cold, and their goal in life had always been
to become a master of magic. There had been many magicians who filled these pages
to the end and died without leaving a name behind. However, none of them had tried
to fight to the end for their own beliefs. Perhaps this strange user might show Gluttony
what it hadn’t found in the meantime.

The original sin, which collected wisdom, made a gamble for the first time.

[Error! Error! Unauthorized request. The 4th Seal has been released through an
unusual means.]

[Gluttony’s function has been opened forcibly. The user should check the information
window of the corresponding function immediately. However, this function was
unlocked via an abnormal path.]

[Grimoire “Gluttony” / C Rank]

[Gluttony’s 4th Seal was released through unusual means. From now onward, the user
can borrow the power of an author which Gluttony has extracted. However, once the
author has been overwritten, the author can’t be loaded twice.]

[The C Rank ‘Overwrite’ has been triggered!]

[The object ‘Alfred Bellontes’ has been loaded into the user’s body.]

Alfred Bellontes was the war hero who had murdered thousands of soldiers during
the Bellontes Empire’s Revolutionary War half a century ago, and his reputation had
become widespread.

Even master level opponents had avoided fighting him, and he had been called a
genius of battle. As Alfred’s ego, who had been sleeping deeply, overwhelmed
Theodore’s body and soul, a blue light appeared at Theo’s fingers.

This was the fourth function of Gluttony, the greedy grimoire.

At that moment, a hero from the history books returned to the present age.
–Hmm?

Simultaneously, Superbia noticed the changes happening to Theodore’s body.

Its senses exceeded a human’s by dozens or perhaps hundreds of times, so it could

catch even the slightest differences. The analysis was completed instantly, covering
the amount of sweat, the speed of the pulse, the body temperature, and the expansion
and contraction of pupils.

‘Oddly enough, the fear in the monkey’s body has disappeared.’ Superbia was puzzled.

–You… What type of trick are you playing?

Any creature had to be afraid of Superbia, since it was at the apex of the food chain. It
didn’t matter what the creature’s individual strength was as they would be filled with
an instinctive fear. Magicians and aura users were no exception, even for those beyond
a certain level, and it was the same with monkeys. Unable to understand the
phenomenon, Superbia felt uncomfortable.

Theodore slowly raised his body. He lifted his right hand, which was ridiculously small
in comparison to Superbia’s claws. Then…

Paang! A flash emerged from his index finger and broke into Superbia’s skull.

“…Ah?” Ellenoa, who wasn’t breathing well, couldn’t help opening her mouth. It was
because the sight of the head being broken wasn’t realistic. For a normal creature, it
would be an instantaneous death blow.

Theodore—no, Alfred looked down at the body with clear eyes after striking the blow.

He nodded and clenched his fingers. ‘Wise. You realized that it was better to pick me.’

At the present time, there were only two authors Theo could summon with
[Overwrite], Alfred and Lee Yoonsung. In the case of Myrdal, the option to use the
Overwrite function with him never came up, so Theo only had one of two choices. Theo
was torn between Lee Yoonsung and Alfred, but he eventually made his decision… and
Magic Bullet’s Creator, the war hero Alfred Bellontes, was loaded.

Gududuk…gududuk…

However, a monster which had killed dozens of elite magicians couldn’t fall to such
degree of damage.

The flesh at the bottom of the head started growing back, and the bones rising from
the neck were completed. The regeneration was almost like a reversal of time. There
was a cold light in Alfred’s eyes as he watched the bizarre phenomenon in front of him.

‘It is more than a troll. This isn’t regeneration but closer to immortality… It isn’t an
enemy I can win by killing.’

That was the mistake Herman and the other convoy magicians had made. In order to
completely destroy the monster, a master level or someone with Veronica’s or
Blundell’s firepower was needed. If they had just focused on tying up its feet
thoroughly, the magicians in the 1st and 3rd Cars wouldn’t have been killed.

–You bastard. Monkey, you…! A horrific low frequency scream emerged from Superbia,
whose face was already half recovered.

The flesh the monster now had was different, but it still stared at him with six pairs of
compound eyes. The fact that it had been attacked by a mere monkey scratched its
pride. The will to kill was immediately reflected in its form.

‘Ogre’s power. Minotaur’s power. Cyclops’ power.’

Superbia’s body suddenly swelled up.

It grew beyond three meters and was twice as wide, while the muscle fibres rose above
the skin to cover the whole body. Red tendons and muscles tangled together like rope
to create a form boiling with murderous impulses.

The incarnation of violence raised an arm which was thicker than a log.

-■■■■■■―!!
The monster’s four fists struck the ground with a furious roar.

-――――――――――!!!

It was literally a great destruction! The earth cracked and shook in the places where
Superbia’s fists hit. The sound of the world crying out rang loudly as Alfred jumped up
while holding Ellenoa. The shock wave was transmitted through the ground and
would explode their insides if it hit them!

“Ellenoa!”

“Yes, yes!?!” Ellenoa replied involuntarily to the powerful voice.

“I will blow you away! Take care of your landing!”

There was no time for a reply. Alfred pulled out wind magic from Theo’s memories.

He used Gust Wind, a blast which could blow a person away like a leaf. Combining that
with Superbia’s shock wave, it wasn’t difficult to fly a few hundred meters. He needed
to use this interval to shift Ellenoa to a safe distance away.

So, Alfred blew Ellenoa away without any hesitation.

“Kyaaak!” Ellenoa shrieked with an absurd expression as she was pushed and sent
disappearing into the night sky. Alfred was anxious about the landing, but it wouldn’t
be a problem for a high elf who was loved by nature. He also kicked away from the
epicenter of the destruction as he continued to think.

However, as soon as he landed on the ground…

Huuung!

A huge fist emerged from the dust cloud. It was enough power to push away the dust
using wind pressure alone!

This hit was three times more powerful than the first. If he were hit with this, he would
disappear without a trace. So, Alfred gave up on attacking and concentrated all his
strength on his chest. This was the body technique received from Lee Yoonsung—the
Iron Board technique.
A red pillar stretched up before his upper body at 90 degrees.

Pik!

He got a nosebleed as the huge fist hit him. However, he raised a hand to his nose while
throwing himself to the right. It was overwhelming just being near the violence. As he
attempted to open the gap, the monster stretched out the other three fists at the same
time.

Aldred smiled coldly as he faced the wall of death. “Fool.”

His body accelerated, momentarily appearing like a haze.

‘Battle Song. Sonata of Speed. Vivace.’

Moving one beat faster meant he would die. Moving two beats faster also meant he
would die. If that was the case, then he would move three or four beats faster.

Alfred dispersed the force of the three fists more precisely and accurately than the
inexperienced Theodore would have done. He penetrated the gap, which was the size
of a needle hole, without any error. Alfred moved like he was dancing and dug toward
Superbia’s chest.

Then his hand, which was sharp like a spear, pierced the monster’s chest.

Puhwakak!

The four Magic Bullets, fired from every digit of the right hand, except for the thumb,
cut through the muscles covering the monster’s heart.

–■■■■■――!! Superbia’s body started glowing from the terrible pain.

One attack from Superbia would break down the human body instantly. It would be
over in one blow. Just a light scratch would cause a severe injury. Then the human’s
breath would be cut off in the following attack. On the other hand, Alfred had the battle
penalty of not being able to kill his opponent.

Despite that, the hero was dancing like a storm in front of the monster.

–This rat bastard!

Neither of Superbia’s attacks with its fists or feet worked. Alfred avoided the punches
and kicks, and then brutally attacked any gaps which were exposed. It was the essence
of a marksman to pierce the vital points. With simple attacks, Superbia was just
Alfred’s prey.

Alfred sent Superbia a look of derision. ‘If you can’t die, I’ll just turn you into a living
beehive.’

If it continued like this, Alfred would be able to endure for an hour or two. Every time
a flash was fired from his fingers, the monster struggled while the hero firmly
defended his superiority.

However, that thought was soon overturned.

(Y)

Exactly five minutes later…

-….Indeed, I know your trashy trick now.

Its pride was more important than anything else, but Superbia’s intelligence was
absolutely not low. Just as Alfred observed it, Superbia was also watching Alfred. This
was the type of prey which should be hunted.

As Superbia transitioned into another form, Alfred felt a chill run down his spine.

Crunch… crunch…

Its front legs were like that of an octopus while the tail was like a blade. This was a
shape which completely deviated from the human form.

Alfred was able to overwhelm Superbia because he had anticipated its behaviour. It
wasn’t difficult to know the timing by reading the movements of the muscles, joints,
and cartilages since they resembled humans, no matter how strong they were.

However, he didn’t know the characteristics of the monster. so his responses would be
delayed.

–Die.
Shortly after that, the space was cut horizontally. It was Caracalos’ blade tail!

Alfred jumped backwards reflexively, but blood still sprang from a cut in his chest. He
didn’t receive a scar due to most of the power being blocked by the fabric, but if his
response had been a bit late, his heart would’ve been split in two.

This time, Theo’s knowledge had saved him. Caracalos was a dangerous A rank
monster which inhabited the southern swamps. Its tail was small but contained
mithril, so it was well known as a weapon which could slash through any metal or
defense spell.

‘Damn it, that is more than an aura user.’ Alfred clicked his tongue as he came to know
the information belatedly. He had lived in the north all his life, so he’d had no interest
in the southern creatures. Moreover, he hadn’t read books like Theodore.

If surprise attacks like this kept on happening, it would be difficult to hold out for 10
minutes, let alone an hour.

Therefore, Alfred talked to ‘him,’ who was watching. ‘Boy, can you hear me?’

–I can hear you. Speak. It was Theodore Miller, the owner of the body.

The two men, who were like the front and back of a coin, finally looked at each other.

Although Alfred was using Theodore’s body, he couldn’t fully utilize his abilities as the
skills acquired by Memorize or the artifacts thoroughly belonged to Theodore Miller.
Alfred Bellontes was a stranger in Theo’s body, so there were limitations.

‘From now on, I will deeply connect to your consciousness. I need your consent to do
that.’

–Sure, I agree.

‘That is a fast response. Is it okay to decide so quickly when you don’t even know what
side effects there will be? Connecting my consciousness to yours can be dangerous,
even if I am inferior when it comes to magical knowledge.’ The blonde man looking at
Theo with an anxious face.

Alfred’s appearance remained unchanged in the world of their consciousness. He had

the majesty of royalty and the dignity of a warrior who had been called a hero.
Theo felt strangely impressed as he slowly nodded. He was determined from the
moment he decided to fight that monster.

‘…I respect your will, Boy.’

There was no way to withdraw anyway. It had reached the point where Theo needed
to rush to the end… at least until Ellenoa’s safety was guaranteed, or when Veronica
arrived. Until then, he needed to protect himself from the death appearing before him.
Gambling with the hero’s soul was better than having a worthless death.

Then at that moment…

[Object name ‘Alfred Bellontes’ and the user ‘Theodore Miller’ have perfectly
harmonized their consciousness. The Overwrite function has been stopped. The user’s
self might become contaminated.]

[Hidden feature ‘Transmission’ has been activated.]

[If Transmission is successful, the fragment of Alfred Bellontes will be completely

restored. If you fail, you will lose all the skills you have acquired from the essences.
The mental shock can also cause the self-destruction of your ego.]

[Are you sure you want to approve ‘Transmission’? – Y/N]

Theo didn’t hesitate, even with the creepy advice.

“Transmission!” As he answered, two flashes of light sprang from the dark mental
world. One was the soul of the majestic and brilliant hero, while the other was the soul
of a body not yet fully grown. The two lights danced erratically in the air before
becoming one stream.

Kiiing!

It seemed like a lightning bolt struck Theodore Miller’s head.

Gluttony’s 4th stage function, Transmission, was the core of Overwrite, and it was
literally a double-edged sword. If it was successful, it would give Theo more of the
author’s ability, beyond the little which had been extracted from the essence. However,
if it failed, he would lose all the abilities he had obtained previously and, in turn,
receive a mental blow.

Theodore was currently standing on a perilous cliff.

‘…?’

The focus completely disappeared from his eyes, and his body lost its vitality. The
whirling memories swirling in his head forced him to cut down his five senses. He
couldn’t tell where Alfred Bellontes’ memories ended and where Theodore Miller’s
memories began. As the boundaries between their egos collapsed, their memories
mixed together into a mess. Theo’s mentality didn’t fit his age, but it was hard for him
to completely accept the hero’s soul.

Somehow, Theo managed to form a mental structure which captured the broken egos,
but the mental challenge caused his eyes to become bloodshot.

‘This… Hang on…!’

If he didn’t look back on himself constantly, it was likely that he would forget who he
was. Even though it was only a fragment, Alfred’s soul overwhelmed Theo’s
consciousness, and the memories and abilities drove Theo’s body to the brink. His
senses expanded, producing what seemed to be short-term visions of the near future,
and it also made him feel dizzy.

However, if this continued, he wouldn’t even last five minutes before being
overwhelmed. It was a reality which couldn’t be reversed through will and
determination; it was the predicted ending for an idiot who couldn’t figure out his
limits.
Funnily enough, it was Pride who rescued him.

–How dare you ignore me when I’m right in front of you!

While Theo was engulfed by the confusion of his mind, Superbia became furious and
attacked him.

The flesh of the predator unintentionally stimulated Theo’s survival instincts. The
heart which had stopped moving started beating again, while his loosened nerves and
muscles became taut and filled with tension.

]Focus returned to Theodore’s empty eyes as the sound of the tail sliced through the
air. This time, it was aiming for Theo’s neck instead of his heart. It was a blow which
even Alfred couldn’t avoid completely, so the willpower of the two people facing death
became perfectly matched up.

Kiiing-

Theo moved one beat ahead. The tail, which was capable of tearing steel apart, fell
before him. Even if he managed to deflect half the trajectory, his neck would still get
sliced. Nevertheless, Theo was confident he could avoid it as he ducked and the sound
passed over his head. A few strands of hair were sliced off and scattered around.

–It is a useless effort! Superbia stretched out its forelimbs, which looked like tentacles,
at a terrifying speed.

They didn’t reach the speed of sound, but there were 27 of them. It was a 360-degree
attack which made evasion impossible. The number and range completely surpassed
Theo’s mobility.

However, Theodore observed the tentacles with a calm expression. ‘This is the acid
roper from the western swamps… Its tentacles will melt the human body immediately.’

The tentacles, which emitted strongly acidic slime, came from a predator in the
swamps. They were light, so getting hit by the tentacles wouldn’t hurt, but the slime
which melted bones and muscles was a really terribly weapon.

However, Theo had read about the weakness of the acid roper in the encyclopedia
before, so he raised both his arms up without retreating.
‘Battle Song. Rhapsody of Power. Forte.’

Simultaneously, one additional magic wrapped around his arms. “Enchant-Burning

Hands!”

From his fingertips to his elbows, Theodore’s arm burned with a red flame. The
focused magic power would turn anything it made contact with into charcoal. It was
enough to evaporate the acid before it touched the skin!

The blazing fists hit the tentacles aiming for him. Papang! Bang! Papang!

This was different from the fluidity of Lee Yoonsung. Alfred had learned practical
fighting techniques directly. They were strikes which utilized the fists, back of the
hands, and the elbows. His strikes left behind a dim haze as he knocked away the 27
tentacles.

-What?! Superbia hadn’t expected its attack to be overcome, so it couldn’t hide its
surprise.

If Theodore hadn’t used Transmission, then he might have died right then. Alfred
lacked knowledge and magic, while Theodore lacked the boldness and combat senses
of a warrior. So, this was a response made possible only due to the combined abilities
of the two.

After defending against the tentacles and blade tail, Theo received a clear view of
Superbia.

‘Memorize. Two Slots Open. Volcanic Shell.’

The Volcanic Shells hit its upper body directly.

Kwaang!

There was a large shock wave. Theo used the momentum of that shock wave to widen
his distance from Superbia. He was able to gain a temporary advantage, but he didn’t
have a chance of winning this battle. The next time, Superbia could come up with a
creature he didn’t know about.

Once Theodore was 20 meters away, he saw the mass of flesh taking on a new form.
‘Its regeneration is pretty fast even though the upper body was completely crushed…
Seems that master level destructiveness is truly required to defeat it.’

He couldn’t deal the final blow. Theodore bit his lips as he realized this once again.
Inferno was the only magic he had which surpassed the destructiveness of Volcanic
Shell, and he didn’t think that it could completely erase Superbia’s whole body as it
had survived the bombardment of Elder Herman and the other war mages.

Unsurprisingly, Superbia quickly recovered. After the damage areas of the head were
restored, Superbia glared at Theo. Magic Bullet, Burning Hands, Volcanic Shell… they
were the means of attack which worked against it.

–I see. Your style is shock and fire, Superbia muttered in small voice, then it started to
reassemble its traits accordingly. Its nickname of ‘peak predator’ wouldn’t fit it if all it
used was violence. The true power of Superbia was its ability to eliminate its own
weakness and neutralize the opponent’s strength.

The use of flames as a weapon had appeared all over the world, along with the means
to neutralize it.

‘A red drake’s scales, a chroma turtle’s carapace, a salamander’s heat-proof skin, and
a hellhound’s body.’

Crunch…. Crunchhh… Crunch….

Three traits were applied to the body of a hellhound which was emitting heat. The red
drake’s scales appeared on top of the salamander skin that shone with a light red,
while a black shell wrapped around Superbia’s fragile face and joints.

This was the form which had slaughtered the eight war mages, including Herman.

–I made you wait, Monkey.

A red light shone in Superbia’s eyes. Once it took this form, even swimming in lava was
possible. The combination of the three qualities could neutralize 6th Circle fire magic,
making it a deadly enemy for Theodore.

If Theo’s attacks didn’t work at all, it would be nothing but a public execution. The only
thing which could break through was Magic Bullet, and that depended on pure
destructive power.
Piing!

As he thought this, a blue light emerged from Theo’s index finger and struck Superbia’s
head.

Jjejeok.

The black shell wrapped around Superbia’s face split slightly.

–Kuhuhu, that tickles.

Not a single drop of blood emerged. It was evidence that Magic Bullet couldn’t pierce
the carapace wrapped around it. Theo stiffened as his intuition felt it. That wasn’t the
maximum output, but it still contained a considerable amount of power. The shell of
the unknown creature was simply too hard.

The monster roared with the assurance of its superiority.

–■■■■■■■―――!!!

The noise also caused a vibration. The huge roar caused the earth to shake, and any
beast which heard it froze. Theodore’s eardrums burst as he used healing magic, and
he momentarily frowned from the pain.

Kuuong!

The monster kicked off against the ground and plunged toward Theodore.

‘Dammit!’

Its movements was several times faster than that of a human or beast. The monster
was over 5 meters in length, but it crossed a few dozen meters in the blink of an eye.
Indeed, in just three steps, Superbia erased that gap Theo had opened.

Its long sword-like claws were now lunging toward Theo.

Swaaack!

Three lines were drawn at the spot where Theo had just been standing, and the cut
stones split apart. The claws were as sharp as swords and contained a massive weight.
It was horrifying to see leaves split apart just from the wind pressure.

Every time Superbia swung its claws, a few trees were cut to pieces, and empty spaces
appeared in an instant. In the end, four claws sliced at Theo.

–Um?

However, that Theo scattered like a mirage. As the illusion of Theodore faded, his form
could be seen breathing heavily in the distance.

It was a skill he had saved until now—Illusion Track. It was the ability to leave an
illusion of himself. This was a successful trick because Superbia had concentrated all
its traits on physical abilities.

‘Perhaps I can do it twice more. Damn, it’s too good to waste like this.’

He didn’t have time to take measures and ended up using one of his hidden cards.
Illusion Track had saved his life, but it had wasted one of Theo’s hidden cards.

Just like how Magic Bullet and fire magic lost their usefulness, the ability would
become irrelevant once it was shown to Superbia. He needed extraordinary tactics
and methods which hadn’t been displayed yet.

…Yes, there was one tactic and method he had yet to show.

Theodore looked down at his hands and spoke in an uncertain tone, “Is it possible?”

Right now, his body was in an extremely unstable state. It was the limit of Alfred and
Theo’s strength as their memories and spirits continued to mix and scatter. If the two
people hadn’t united to take care of Superbia, their egos would’ve collapsed together
already.

However, neither Theodore nor Alfred had thought of this tactic until now. If it were
successful, even that monster couldn’t escape a deadly injury.

“Well, let’s try it once, Prince Alfred.”

Theo nodded and smiled as he heard, ‘A man shouldn’t avoid a challenge.’

It was the temperament of a hero. The innate qualities of Alfred Bellontes were
blooming inside of Theodore Miller. Heroes always won at the crossroads of fate and
did what people deemed were impossible.

If so, his victory would be decided at this moment.

As Theodore gathered up all of his remaining magic power, a relentless heat rushed
through him.
That body’s length was over five meters and its weight was estimated to be in the
tonnes. Just being hit by that body would turn a human body into chunks of meat. The
creature roared wildly while jumping forward.

–■■■■■■■···!!!

The huge roar caused Theo’s already burst eardrums to throb. However, he didn’t have
time to care about such minor pain. Theo stared at what was before him without
moving a single strand of hair on his eyebrows.

Judging by its movements a while ago, Superbia’s power was two steps ahead of Theo’s
vision. So, Theo couldn’t afford to blink even once. The monster took two steps on the
ground.

Huuk!

Then the shape of the monster expanded suddenly. No, it only appeared to be growing
because it was approaching so rapidly. As Superbia’s body neared Theo, it pushed off
from the ground.

Kwaang!

The solid ground became broken like a grilled pancake. The spot where Theodore had
been standing split apart like a spider web as Superbia landed. The shock caused a
small earthquake, and Theo’s body wobbled for a moment. Superbia’s claws didn’t
miss this moment and tore his body into dozens of pieces.

However, Theodore’s body once again scattered like a haze. This time, it wasn’t just a
single use of Illusion Track. A total of 12 Theodores appeared around Superbia. The
sophisticated illusion that couldn’t be distinguished from reality was the power of the
artifact which symbolized the legendary thief, Orwell.

However, Superbia just laughed instead of panicking.

–You… I knew you were going to do this again.

The ability of the peak predator, Pride, allowed it to form countermeasures for
anything it saw once. As such, it now had flames which could melt rocks, a tail which
was sharper than a blade, and a shell which was harder than steel.

However, it was the same for countering the illusions. The ability to deceive the eyes
of other creatures was unexpectedly common, while the ability to see through
deception was rare but not impossible to find.

Another red eye appeared in the middle of Superbia’s face—the eye of the observer.

It was the eye of a famous creature known as the ‘magician killer.’ The one eyeball
could see any magic which entered its field of view and counter it. Without magic
power, Superbia could only reproduce its insight ability, but that was enough.

Soon, Superbia’s vision revealed the truth of the illusions. Among the 12 people, the
real Theodore…?

-None?!

Superbia stiffened. The 12 figures were all illusions, and there was no sign of the body
which had created them. Before Superbia could understand the situation, it felt
something underneath its chin. It was a really light sensation. However, above all, it
gave Superbia a frightening chill.

“…It took me a while.”

It was impossible to amaze Superbia with anything new. So, Theo had used a lavish
spectacle as bait.

Pride was used to being the strongest, so it had never expected a counterattack to
come when its opponent was in a clearly disadvantageous position. What could
Theodore do when his flames as well as his greatest weapon, Magic Bullet, were
blocked?

‘I can’t break through the normal way. But…!’

The expression on his face proved this wasn’t a meaningless struggle or approach.
‘Battle Song. Rhapsody of Power. Sforzando.’

Theo only strengthened his right arm. As the muscles swelled, his sleeves were torn
apart, exposing the raised blood vessels. The effect of forcibly strengthening his body
was revealed, but it was still good. If he didn’t do this, he wouldn’t be able to withstand
the shock.

[In fact, Magic Bullet is an incomplete magic. To be more accurate, it is a magic that
can’t be completed.] Alfred Bellontes had said so.

There was a limitation because his fingers couldn’t cope with the strong backlash of
Magic Bullet. However, if he used his palm, then the pressure and range of Magic Bullet
would be greatly reduced. The bonus was that the arm he used would be destroyed by
the enormous repulsion. It was a defective spell which could only wreak havoc at a
medium distance.

Therefore, he plunged into the monster’s arm and used a desperate method.

‘Memorize. All Slots Open. Magic Missile-Penta United.’

All five Magic Bullets stored at maximum power gathered in the palm of his right hand.
Even though Theo felt like his right forearm was going to burst, he was able to
somehow endure it thanks to the strengthening. In addition to this, he compressed
one more Magic Bullet into his palm.

There was now a huge six shots in his palm. One blow concentrated at six times the
power would be able to penetrate any 6th Circle defense spell.

Bududuk…buduk…

His muscles were torn as blood flowed from the skin. This was a strong blow which
wasn’t possible unless he sacrificed an arm. Theodore stared into Superbia’s eyes and
used all his strength.

“Die…!”

There was a blue flash of light which surpassed even Alfred’s prime.
 (Y)

A flash of light soared into the night sky of the Nadun Mountains. In contrast to
lightning which fell from the sky, the flash of light rose from the ground and penetrated
straight through the clouds. Of course, this light was the trail left behind by Theodore’s
Magic Bullet.

Theodore lay on the ground and looked up. ‘Succe…ss.’

The body of the beast which had lost its head was struggling. Black blood sprayed like
a fountain, covering the scales and carapace. Despite its fearful defense, it couldn’t
withstand Magic Bullet which had been amplified six times. In the end, Superbia’s
body fell to the ground.

Theodore chuckled when he saw it. “One blow, I did it properly.”

[Yes, well done.] Alfred smiled from inside Theodore and knocked on his shoulder.

It was a power which would’ve been impossible to achieve if they hadn’t worked
together. They had fought well against the monster which was a Seven Sins grimoire.
If he had made a wrong judgement, then it would be Theodore with his head missing
right now.

As a result, the winner and loser had been decided. Of course, the loser was Theodore
who couldn’t kill Superbia, and the winner was Superbia who had survived a number
of fatal blows.

Kududuk…! Kudu…! Kududuk…!

With an unpleasant sound, a skull rose up in the empty space, and flesh, muscles, and
nerves covered it as the head started to regain its original shape.

As Alfred had said, this wasn’t in the realm of regeneration but immortality. No matter
how well the two people fought, they couldn’t beat it. In the first place, Theodore and
Alfred lacked a way to destroy that huge body without leaving a trace of it behind.

–Your last hurrah ends here. Superbia’s voice was convinced of its victory.

Why did it need to be agitated in front of its food which had already lost strength?
Superbia laid a sharp claw at Theo’s neck. It wasn’t dumb enough to leave this threat
alive. Superbia would tear off the head of the being which irritated it and then eat
slowly.

‘Well, it is just up to here. I fought well.’ Theodore closed his eyes in the face of death.
He felt a bit sad about his parents, but he believed that his mentor would take care of
them.

Finally, Superbia’s sharp claw moved.

Kakang!

It was quite a cheerful sound for someone’s head being cut off. As he thought this,

“…Kid.” It was a cold but beautiful voice.

“T-Tower Master…?”

“Sorry, I’m too late.”

Theo opened his eyes hurriedly and saw Veronica, whose red robe was flapping in the
wind.

She had spoken in a heavily subdued voice, which made him wonder what she’d seen
on the way. Blood was dripping from Veronica’s firmly closed fists, and Theodore
thought the blood almost looked like her tears.

Veronica moved forward, toward the monster before her.

“Wait a bit. I’ll end it quickly.”

Shortly after that…

Kwaang!

Something was waving like a worm from Superbia’s crushed head. The half skull and
crushed eye looked like a frog which had been hit with a hammer. Superbia was one
beat too late to recognize the damage. Then as it opened its mouth to scream…

“Be a sword, fire of purgatory.” Veronica summoned a sword of fire—Inferno Blade.

She used a spell which compressed Inferno into the form of a sword.
No matter how fire resistant the monster was, it couldn’t withstand a temperature
which would melt it in an instant. It was impossible to block this fire sword with pure
durability.

However, Superbia started to regenerate when it was sliced apart. Its speed was faster
than a troll, and there were no traces left of the wounds Veronica had inflicted upon
it. Nevertheless, Veronica gazed at the scene with cold eyes and suddenly jumped from
the ground.

No, the moment she jumped, she was already punching out.

Kwaang!

It was a huge blow. The slender fist of the beautiful woman contained the weight of
several tonnes, and the creature was thrown back into the air.

–A-A monster like you…! This mixed-blood monkey!

“What?” Veronica had the dragon senses, so it wasn’t difficult for her to hear
Superbia’s low-frequency voice.

She then pointed to the creature which was 100 meters away and sentenced him to
death. It was the worst attack magic of the 7th Circle, a flame of the Demon World
which couldn’t be erased with the usual method.

“Hell Fire.” A black fire storm appeared without a sound and wrapped around
Superbia.

–■■■■■■――!?! It was a scream, not a roar.

The senses of Superbia, who focused on the traits of creatures, were extraordinarily
sharp, so its perception of pain was different. The sensation of its body’s cells burning
was hell. Superbia couldn’t endure this. The firepower exceeded its regeneration, so
Pride, who had encountered few monsters in this age, decided to escape.

Simultaneously, Veronica decided to deal the last blow.

“Suuuuop…” She used a great suction power to swallow the air around her.

“Huwaaaack―――――!” Then a fearsome jet of fire blew from her mouth!

‘D-Dragon Breath?!’ Theo didn’t know why a quarter dragon like Veronica could use
that power, but the red dragon’s breath was famous for having a destruction
equivalent to the 8th Circle.

She blew her breath toward the airborne Superbia and destroyed any clouds in the
way. The power of it truly couldn’t be described in books. Nothing was left in the place
where the breath passed.

“Huuuu…” As the breath died, Veronica let out a tired sigh and took several deep
breaths while steam emerged from her mouth.

“Tch. It ran away? It is more annoying than a master level aura user,” she grumbled in
an annoyed voice.

Veronica had definitely missed out on the kill. She didn’t know what creature it was,
but it was more difficult than she thought.

“Indeed, he wouldn’t have died if it wasn’t that much.” A bitter expression crossed
Veronica’s face as she thought of Elder Herman’s body which she had passed by along
the way. Elder Herman had been one of the elders who had known Veronica for
decades and treated her like a daughter or granddaughter despite her mixed blood.
She had never thought he would die in a place like this.

Even though death didn’t belong to a time or place, she couldn’t help feeling regretful.

After a moment of silence for her dead colleagues, she turned toward Theodore. “You
did well, Kid.”

“Yes…”

“Don’t answer and stay still. Your wounds are deep.”

It wasn’t easy for Theo to speak. As the sense of urgency and tension faded away, a
heavy fatigue came which seemed like it would cut off Theo’s consciousness right
away. Veronica realized this and placed his head on her lap while calling to someone,
“Hey, you can come out now.”

Who was she calling? His heavy eyes found green hair among the trees. She had
probably met Veronica while fleeing and guided her toward the location of the fight.
The high elf, Ellenoa, came out with Veronica’s permission and grabbed Theo’s right
hand gently.

“Theodore, Theodore…!” Her glad calls echoed in his ears a few times.

Vitality flowed from her fingertips and gradually improved the condition of his right
arm and body. He wanted to reply to her call, but the damage accumulated in Theo’s
body didn’t allow him to remain conscious any further.

‘Ah, how long will I sleep this time…?’ He could sense it. This was the aftermath of
forcefully having Alfred ‘transmitted’ to him.

Theodore fell unconscious as the two beauties called his name. Shortly before his
vision and hearing cut off completely, he heard a voice.

[The 4th Seal which unlocked through an unusual path has been resealed. The user
won’t be able to use ‘Overwrite’ until the 4th Seal is released normally.]

[You were mentally hurt by Transmission. Time is needed to restore your mental
state.]

[At the present time, there is no knowing how long it will take.]

[Entering a forced dormancy.]

Two days later, the upper echelons of the Meltor Kingdom were literally overturned
after finding out that the high elf’s convoy had been almost completely wiped out.

It was truly a catastrophe!

Five 6th Circle magicians, sixteen 5th Circle magicians, and three gust wagons formed
a tremendous loss. It wasn’t a damage which couldn’t be recovered from, but it would
be hard to fill their vacancy for the next 10 years.

If Veronica hadn’t been able to protect the survivors of the convey, Theodore Miller
and the high elf, then the damage might’ve expanded by several times.

Kurt III praised Veronica’s achievement publicly while convening an emergency

meeting to deal with this case.

“Listen carefully. The Tower Masters, heads of the Magic Society, and members of the
court must gather in the meeting room without anyone being absent. This issue has
an enormous impact, and it is strictly forbidden to leak any information to the outside
world. This is an edict I proclaim in the name of Kurt III.”

An edict in the king’s name…! The meaning of such a thing was never light. If a person
rejected this edict or broke it, they could immediately be hung on the gallows for
treason. That was why they all headed to the meeting room of the royal palace after
receiving Kurt III’s order.

Among the people present were the Tower Masters, who rarely gathered in one place.

“Huhu, it has been a long time since I’ve seen some of the faces gathered here,”
Blundell Adruncus, the Blue Tower Master, muttered while still carrying his staff.

“Oh, what is all this? I am young, but I feel old when gathering in this place,” Veronica,
the beautiful Red Tower Master muttered in a petulant tone.
“…………” The man wearing a white robe and a plain mask which covered his eyes, nose,
and forehead was the White Tower Master, Orta.

As always, the position of the Yellow Tower Master remained vacant, but no one
questioned this. He was the only one qualified to refuse any call, and this was an open
secret at the heart of Mana-vil. More than anything else, he had no interest in national
affairs.

Blundell settled his big body in a chair and opened his mouth to speak, “Now, let’s all
sit down first. It is awkward to talk while standing.”

As three of the four seats around the throne were filled, the rest of the people started
to sit down.

On the right side of the round table was Kurt III’s court, who were responsible for state
administration. It included the household department, the military, foreign affairs and
so on. Meanwhile, the left side of the table was for the nobles present in the capital.
There were a few earls and dukes waiting for the king.

Not long after that, Kurt III entered the meeting room.

“Presenting His Majesty!” Unlike other times, the king’s knights declared the presence
of the king directly. It meant this meeting had such an important agenda that it was
impossible to even approach him.

Kurt III opened his palm and restrained them before they bowed. “The bowing will be
omitted today. Please be seated.”

Nobody dared refuse. They quickly followed his order and sat down.

Kurt III nodded and headed to the throne in the center. He sat down on the throne
covered in white leather and looked next to him. “Veronica, summarize the case
briefly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Veronica wasn’t playful like usual. She got up from her seat with a
cold expression and spoke as the attention of the people focused on her, “Two days
ago, the convoy passing through the Nadum Mountains was attacked by an
unidentified monster. All the gust wagons mobilized for the mission were destroyed,
and 21 magicians killed. The high elf was unharmed at the end of the engagement, but
the monster escaped.”
Silence fell for a moment before a storm exploded in the meeting room.

“W-Wiped out!”

“Red Tower Master, the monster got away from you?!”

“Surely this will become bigger…!”

Each reaction was different, but they were all shocked. The 21 magicians dispatched
as the convoy were a strong power. They had been veteran war mages from the time
of the war against the Empire. It was an elite group which could even grab the ankles
of a sword master when working together.

However, the convoy had been wiped out suddenly? Did it mean that master level
monsters existed in the world? Perhaps Veronica was lying?

Dismay, horror and disbelief filled the eyes of the people in the room.

“Stop,” Kurt III spoke and calmed the atmosphere at once.

The attitude required in this situation was to find the best countermeasure for the
outcome of this event, rather than them being shocked. The people gathered noticed
the chilly look in the king’s eyes and quickly got into the right mindset.

“It is fortunate that the high elf is safe. We avoided the worst case scenario somehow.”

The people nodded at Kurt III’s words. What would the damage be if the high elf had
also been killed? Meltor would’ve suffered at least three times as much in the future.
They would lose the chance to gain a good relationship with Elvenheim.

The damage this time was painful, but there was some small comfort.

“Provide compensation to the families of the magicians who were sent as part of the
convoy. And we must thoroughly receive compensation from Elvenheim. Isn’t that
right, Blundell?”

“The elves are a species who consider silver as a sign of gratitude and no grudges, so
it will be done according to Your Majesty’s will.”

“Right. No, it would be difficult if that wasn’t the case.” The wooden arm holder of the
throne was crushed by Kurt III’s grip.

Due to international relations, he had lost more than 20 elites. If the value of the high
elf was lower than this, there would be no point in them sacrificing their lives. No
matter what, he had to obtain a price for them.

After a while, Kurt’s face returned to that of the sober ruler. “Blundell, escort the high
elf to Elvenheim. I’m sorry since you’ve just returned from a long distance mission,
but you know that the elves don’t like Veronica.”

“I would be delighted. By the way, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?” Kurt III looked puzzled by Blundell’s additional words.

“I have a request to ask of you from the high elf.”

“A request? For me?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The king made a gesture to allow the message.

Blundell grinned and delivered Ellenoa’s words. “She asked to stay until the healing of
Theodore Miller, the survivor of this incident, is over. She doesn’t know about the other
injuries, but his right hand is in a serious state. If it isn’t healed with the power of the
high elf, she predicts there will be aftereffects.”

“I have no reason to refuse the request. Rather, I would like to ask that from my side.”
It was a warming story. Kurt III’s stiff face loosened as he heard it.

Whether the myth about the silver was true or not, the high elf hadn’t left Theodore
alone after being escorted to the capital. She had hugged the bloody and bandaged
right arm and continued using her healing power on Theo.

The cold atmosphere of the room became a little warmer.

“Hoh, this young man has earned the grace of a high elf.”

“Isn’t he 20 this year and already at the 5th Circle? Brilliant. Why wasn’t this talent
known until now?”
“Look carefully. He took first place in the Pupil Tournament recently. It was just a few
months ago.”

“I see that he has no sponsors.”

They read about Theodore enthusiastically and expressed their appreciation for him.
The court fought over which department the young man would fit into, while the
nobles wondered what conditions they could use to recruit him.

However, the fierce debate was once again stopped by Kurt III. “…Theodore Miller, that
young man again.”

Kurt III looked at the paper which contained Theodore’s history with his distinctive
purple eyes.

Theo had won the Pupil Tournament and taken care of the elder lich, and now, he had
even survived the convoy. It was a rare case where a 20-year-old magician would end
up facing the king three times in less than half a year.

Naturally, the king was forced to develop an interest Theo.

‘Is his talent luck or does he have the qualities of a hero? Or maybe he has something
extraordinary.’

There was something unknown which couldn’t be discovered from the information
written on the document. It was clear that he had helped the kingdom a few times,
and it was the king’s role to make the most of it.

According to Veronica, within the next 10 years, Theo would grow enough to be able
to threaten her. Then the right thing to do was spray water and fertilizer on the ground
to help the tree grow.

Kurt III decided on the way to treat Theodore. “Listen carefully.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The king refused to allow any arguments as he announced in front of everyone

present, “To the only survivor of the convey, Baron Miller, I will present the title of
Viscount and, in addition, reward him with a Silver Medal of Merit. This decision is an
edict in my name, meaning it can’t be overturned.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”

“What? If you didn’t hear it, then I will tell you one more time.”

The court officials, nobles and tower masters couldn’t hide their surprise. The title of
viscount was good. An honorary nobleman didn’t have a manor, and magicians
belonging to the Magic Society weren’t likely to care about title anyway.

However, the Silver Medal of Merit was a reward that none of them had imagined.

The nobles who tried to suggest it was too much soon fell silent at Kurt III’s harsh
voice. They knew this tone meant that no objections were allowed and that the
decision couldn’t be overturned.

“There are no objections. Then it is time for the next agenda.”

30 years after the last recipient, the next recipient of the Silver Medal of Merit was
decided in a secret spot.

(Y)

Theodore didn’t know he was the protagonist of a glory which hadn’t appeared in the
last 30 years, as his eyes hadn’t even opened yet when the decision was made.

Thanks to Ellenoa’s dedicated healing, all of Theo’s external wounds, including his
right arm, were recovered perfectly. However, she couldn’t heal the crack in his mind
which had arisen from Alfred’s ‘Transmission.’

In the end, Ellenoa couldn’t wait for Theodore to open his eyes and was forced to leave
Meltor. Blundell, who was assigned as her escort, scratched his head with an
apologetic expression when he saw her sad face.

“Hmm, I’m sorry but we can’t afford to wait any longer. The ambassadors from
Elvenheim are urging for your return.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Still, Ellenoa couldn’t help feeling disappointed as she kissed Theodore’s forehead
gently. The kiss of a high elf was like receiving the blessing of an elemental. It was a
blessing which would prevent any elementals belonging to enemies from getting close
to Theodore.

“Will we meet again someday, Theodore?”

Ellenoa said goodbye, and the forest dancer returned to Elvenheim.

Then exactly 10 days later… After the battle with Superbia, Theodore Miller had been
collapsed for three weeks due to his mental fusion with Alfred.

The topic of conversation in Meltor finally woke up.

Theodore, who had lost consciousness for more than a fortnight, seemed to be
sleeping comfortably. However, he was actually in danger. Even if it was just a
fragment, Alfred had been named a war hero and the power of his soul was beyond
the limit which Theodore could accept. If Theo had attempted to get his hands on all
that power, his ego would be shattered like broken glass.

Theo knew that intuitively and chose the next best thing. He might have to give up
inheriting all of the power, but it would surely separate Alfred’s and Theo’s souls.

Surrounded by darkness in the world of his mind, Theo gradually noticed that he was
regaining his senses. It was evidence that his mind and body had recovered enough to
wake up from the dormancy.

‘Is it time to wake up? Thank goodness I somehow succeeded.’ Theo looked down at
himself with a sigh.

Not long ago, he had stood at the boundary between Alfred and Theodore and hadn’t
been able to tell who he was. It was only a few hours ago that Theo had returned. He
had barely managed to win by walking the tightrope with a precipice below him.

Although Alfred’s life had been short-lived, Theo was a young man of only 20 years
old. However, Theo was pushed to his limits when it came to the depth of his life and
his experiences.

Finally, his consciousness stirred as his eyelids pushed up. “Umm…”

‘Stiff.’ After not waking up for more than a fortnight, the way he felt could be
summarized with that one word. His muscles were stiff like a tightrope, and his joints
creaked continuously.

Despite receiving treatment from the royal family, a fortnight was too long. Even his
upper torso and spine were aching slightly. Theo eventually gave up on trying to get
up and lay down quietly.
‘Damn, how long have I been lying down? If I am this stiff, I must’ve been lying down
for at least a week.’ He wanted to get up quickly, but it was obvious that he would be
seriously injured if he moved with his current body.

Theodore diagnosed his condition using Lee Yoonsung’s experience and sighed with
relief. He barely noticed it in his mental state, but he might have to rest a few more
days. Despite that, he wanted to know where this place was and what had happened
to his mentor.

The only consolation he had was what he got from this incident.

‘This…? Is it Alfred’s senses?’ At that time, Theo flinched as he felt a sense of

heterogeneity.

Unlike his five senses, this was a sense which wasn’t attached to his body.
Indescribable information tickled his head.

This was different from Theo’s sensory perception which seemed like his five senses
were just extremely sensitive. Alfred’s talent seemed to be able to see a bit into the
future. Born with innate qualities, it was a sixth sense which seemed to bloom on the
battlefield. It was one of the reasons why he had become a war hero with only the
weapon called Magic Bullet.

However, that didn’t mean Theodore’s sixth sense had reached the same level as
Alfred’s.

“…It’s hard. It will take awhile to get used to it.” Theo closed his eyes for a while and
concentrated, before shaking his head.

This was a gift given by Alfred Bellontes, and it was like suddenly obtaining fish gills.
Usually, ordinary people wouldn’t know who to breathe with gills. Theo had acquired
the ability, but he would have to spend a lot of time and experience to fully exploit this
talent.

However, it wasn’t impossible, so Theo couldn’t help smiling.

‘Prince Alfred has disappeared, but his traces still remain. I can clearly remember the
feelings we shared while fighting together. If I follow that feeling, I will surely reach it
again soon.’
Due to having joined together with Alfred, Theo had become strong enough to face the
terrifying ‘Pride.’ Theo’s aim was to become strong enough to knock Pride down. Now
that he had faced Superbia once, there was no way to avoid being hostile to it.

‘I will win next time.’ Theo formed a fist as he made such a determination.

“…Theo…”

Theo froze as he heard a voice out of nowhere. ‘W-What? Who else besides me is in
this room?’

He hadn’t been aware of it because his senses were dull. Where were they? Theo
thought of the expressions he had been showing and wanted to hide inside a hole.
However, the person only mumbled Theo’s name once before falling silent.

Theo was puzzled by the silence, and he lifted his head up carefully. It was then that
he was able to see someone.

“Theoo… dead… no…” Sylvia was sleeping in a chair and mumbling ominous things
while drooling.

That reminded him, how had she been? He’d had no contact with her since returning
from the Miller Barony. Due to his identity as the disciple of the Blue Tower Master, it
would be hard for her to walk around for private reasons. Theo himself had been busy
with Veronica’s special training and then the mission.

That’s why Sylvia came to visit him.

‘Is this place Mana-vil’s infirmary?’

Veronica seemed to have brought him and Ellenoa back to Mana-vil after defeating
Superbia. Theo quickly reached this conclusion and lay back down with a smile. It was
a bit awkward, but seeing Sylvia’s sleeping face was quite nice.

At that time, he felt a familiar sense of discomfort in his left hand.

-…You woke up, User.

‘Gluttony.’
Just like him, Gluttony had woken up from its dormancy.

–For the time being, it is impossible to get the same privilege as last time. I won’t be able
to release my autonomic function until the next seal is released.

‘You won’t be able to exercise your autonomic function?’

–I am also part of the grimoire, so the system has authority over me. It is possible to put
a temporary ban on me after I released the 4th Seal through such an unusual path.

Indeed, no matter how much it wanted to, Gluttony couldn’t release its own seals.

–Then, hurry, next seal…

Theo nodded as Gluttony fell asleep again. It seemed like Gluttony had also been
challenged during the fight against Superbia. Maybe it would be difficult to talk like
before until the next seal was lifted.

As the infirmary quieted down again, Theo closed his eyes. He was going to rest until
his body recovered. However, that silence didn’t last long.

“Theo! You are awake now!” Vince, the middle-aged magician who came to visit,
looked at him with a pleased expression.

(Y)

Theo’s mind might’ve been in a risky state, but his body was already completely cured.

It was because Ellenoa had focused on treating him for a few days, and there was no
trauma except for his right arm. If he hadn’t received a psychological shock, he
would’ve regained consciousness the day after he collapsed.

Thanks to that, Theo had no problem telling his story. “…Yes, Elder Herman died.”

Vince’s face filled with regret as he heard about what happened to the convoy. Herman,
a magician of the previous generation, had been there since Vince had been an
apprentice.

Herman had been famous for his talent and ability to take care of his juniors, so he had
been a spiritual pillar of the Red Tower. After his retirement, he had continued making
strong contributions to Meltor.

The fact that he had died made Vince’s heart ache. However, Vince soon suppressed
his sadness, and his complexion returned to its original state. As a veteran war mage,
he was accustomed to sending off many comrades on the battlefield.

He was just grateful that his senior had performed the mission to the end and returned
his disciple safely.

“Then it is my turn.”

After Theodore lost consciousness, he didn’t know about anything which had
happened outside his body. Thanks to Sylvia, Theo knew he was in Mana-vil’s
infirmary, but that was all.

A secret meeting had been held at the palace, and the high elf’s convoy had been a
topic of discussion for a few days. Theo had now become one of the greatest celebrities
in the present Meltor Kingdom.

He was unfamiliar with people’s attention, so his forehead immediately creased as he

frowned.

Sylvia was also listening in, and her eyes shone at the words. “Wow! Great, Theo! You
are probably the only one who has become so famous at our age!”

“Well, Sylvia’s words aren’t wrong,” Vince chimed in playfully. “An academy student
won against a tower master’s disciple, and a few days later, he defeated the elder lich.
Not long after that, you rescued a high elf. This might just by the introduction of a
remarkable hero.”

“B-But Professor was with me as well…!”

“That isn’t important. The royal family has already started work promoting you as a
hero.”

Then Vince pulled out a newspaper and showed him the contents. Theo’s eyes shook
as he read the contents while lying down. By the end of it, he was shaking almost at
the level of a seizure. It was the announcement of a national scale event.

“M-Medal ceremony? Furthermore, a court ball?!”

The court ball was a social event held several times a year in any other kingdom, but
it had a special significance here in Meltor.

The king of Meltor, Kurt III, hated useless luxuries. His character was known for
avoiding excesses, so this applied to the ball at well. It was said that there were no
court balls in Meltor except when the delegation of another kingdom visited, or at the
opening or closing ceremony of the magic contest.

However, the letters written in the newspaper didn’t make sense.

“This is all because of me…?”

Hearing his disciple’s disbelieving voice, Vince affirmed, “That’s right. Perhaps they
want to highlight your presence over what happened to the high elf convoy. Comedy
is always used to conceal tragedy.”

“Am I worth that much?”

“Of course. Although if they were only going to use your name, you wouldn’t have been
awarded a medal.”

‘Medal, medal…’ Theo gazed at the illustration drawn in the newspaper.

‘Silver Medal of Merit?’ He had read the books in the academy’s library, but he had
little knowledge about this type of thing. Theo wasn’t interested in things related to
the nobility and preferred to read the encyclopedia about monsters.

‘Is this medal that great?’

As Theo gazed at it, Vince spoke in a pleased voice, “By the way, that is the Silver Medal
of Merit! It has been 30 years since someone last received it. I never thought that it
would be my disciple, Theodore!”

“…Professor?”

“Is it unbelievable? Well, that is understandable. It is a medal equivalent to a viscount

title.”

Theodore tried to stop Vince who had misunderstood him, but his words were
blocked.
A medal equivalent to a viscount title…? Something so preposterous existed in this
country…? If this were true, it meant that the value of the medal couldn’t be converted
into money.

Soon, the reason emerged from Vince’s mouth, “The Silver Medal of Merit is worth a
national treasure. You will probably receive a national treasure at the medal
ceremony! You should be surprised and happy!”

‘…National treasure?’

One beat—no, two beats later, Theodore’s mouth dropped open.

News that the main character, Theodore Miller, had woken up was soon reported to
the royal palace.

Even so, the court ball couldn’t be held right away. Therefore, the preparations took
place while Theo recovered in bed. The date was decided to be four days after
Theodore was discharged.

Thanks to him, Mana-vil Capital was suffering from an unprecedented boom.

Even though only the nobles could participate in the court ball directly, performers
and wine were released onto the streets. The quantity of wine required was so large
that it set a fire under the feet of the merchants, who had been idle after the Magic
Contest.

“Alcohol! We need alcohol! Hey, is there anything left in the warehouse?”

“No! We’ve run out a long time ago! Why is there an event this large so soon after the
Magic Contest?”

“There isn’t enough alcohol now? If there is no volume at the store, go and strangle
some from the merchant companies!”

“No, this is the first time since I’ve lived that there isn’t enough pork!”

None of the people around him, including the court people and tower masters, had
expected the king to declare a court ball. So, it was too late for even the top merchant
companies closely associated with the nobles to react. The small and mid-sized
merchants struggled to pull up any remaining stock that they had as Mana-vil was
more vigorous than ever before.

“What is all this fuss about?”

It wasn’t just the merchants but also the guards who were suffering from this.
The number of people who entered Mana-vil, the capital of Meltor, was enormous. The
biggest event of the year had been the Magic Contest, so after it was over, it was like
heaven to the guards. Yet, having been placed on duty again, all the off-duty patrols
and guards were now irritated.

The sight of more than 100,000 guards circulating day and night was spectacular in
itself. This was evidence of how great the court ball was.

Shortly afterwards, the news of the court ball spread throughout the entire northern
continent.

“What? The Meltor Kingdom has called a court ball?”

The other countries didn’t have time to dispatch ambassadors or people to the sudden
event, but there was a lot of interest in the ball and its protagonist. Even if they were
publicly disclosed, Theo’s achievements were hard to believe.

Some watched with interested eyes while others criticized him as a hero created by
Meltor.

“Isn’t it vulgar to spread a foolish story about a hero to increase their national power?”

“Elder lich? If such a thing existed, a campaign would’ve been launched to take care of
it. Meltor must be attempting to mislead the people with ridiculous rumours.”

Some were convinced while others reacted violently.

Regardless of whether they believed it or not, time passed by. Then as the date set by
the Meltor Kingdom approached, the kingdom naturally fell silent as the people
waited for the festival.

Thus, the day of the court ball dawned.

(Y)

“Eh?” Theo felt strange as he tightened his tie with his good hand.

So far, he had to be helped by others whenever he wore any finery like a tailcoat. At
the awards ceremony, he’d needed Vince’s help, and Earl Bergen’s servants had helped
Theo during his stay there.
However, he was now wearing this outfit by himself.

‘There are no wrinkles or folds, so is it okay?’ Theo looked at himself in the mirror.

He hadn’t even given it much thought while wearing it. His body just moved like he
was accustomed to wearing such clothing. Theo casually arranged the sleeves, collar,
and tie pin. The movements of his hand weren’t possible unless he had considerable
experience.

Theo had grown up in a rural estate and only worn the academy’s uniforms after that,
so he shouldn’t be that familiar with it. However, Theodore was able to guess the
cause.

“…He was a hero and prince.” He laughed lightly as he tightened the tie and then looked
down at his palm.

Alfred Bellontes had been a war hero, but he had also been the third prince of the
Bellontes Principality which led the War of Independence. It meant Alfred had been
an existence whose status couldn’t be downgraded. Such a person couldn’t be ignorant
of etiquette or laws.

Maybe the sixth sense wasn’t the only thing to flow into Theo’s body after
‘Transmission’ was used. He didn’t know it yet, but his method of walking and posture
were slightly different from before.

It was due to the spirit of royalty.

Creak.

At that moment, the door of the waiting room opened.

“Theo, how are the preparations going?” Vince entered the room without any
hesitation, and his eyes widened as he saw Theo’s clothing.

According to the attendants, Theo hadn’t worn the clothing, yet here he was, perfectly
dressed. Everything was perfect, from the posture to the atmosphere around him. If it
wasn’t for Theo’s familiar face, Vince might’ve mistaken Theo for someone else.

Vince opened his mouth and spoke with a satisfied expression, “Excellent. I don’t need
to call some attendants.”
Then he put a box on the table and unlocked it quickly. The inside of the iron box was
revealed with a snapping sound. The item inside was a luxurious cloth embroidered
with red and gold thread. Theo was aware of the identity and nodded. “A robe of the
Red Tower?”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t a normal robe. Generally, mass-produced items didn’t have such complicated
patterns nor did they use such good cloth. Additionally, the magic placed on mass-
produced items was only at a certain level.

However, the magic power coming from this crimson robe was around the same level
as the magic imbued in a rare artifact. The crimson robe was then tied around
Theodore’s neck.

“Oh…!” Vince said admiringly as he looked at Theo.

The red robes fluttered like a flame as they wrapped around Theo like a coat. Theo
was wearing a black suit, so the robe gave him a great finish as a magician. This was
all done in preparation for the ball.

The two of them then spent some time exchanging personal stories, and Vince kindly
warned Theo what to be careful about. Theo was calm for his age, but the nobles had
tongues like snakes.

“Finally, don’t bend your back.” Vince put his hand on Theo’s waist while saying so.
“You are the main character of this ball. Who can be rude to you, the one who is
receiving His Majesty’s medal? You don’t need to make enemies, but you don’t need to
shrink back before anyone either.”

“I will do so.”

“Well, you will do well even without me saying anything.”

Theo had already met high ranking people: the Blue Tower Master; the Red Tower
Master; and Kurt III. So, he wouldn’t be scared even if he encountered a marquis or a
duke as far more extravagant people were hanging around him. Truth be told,
Veronica’s fist was far scarier than the power of the nobles.

‘I can’t see her fist properly… that is much scarier…’

Theo ignored his shivering and turned around because he heard a voice calling him.

“Baron Miller! Please enter the venue!”

Vince and Theo met each other’s gazes for a moment. Simultaneously, Vince patted
Theodore’s shoulders. “Now, go first. I’ll see you later in the ballroom.”

“Yes, Master.” Theo left Vince behind and followed the guide.

Thump, thump. His heart pounded every time he took a step.

Theo’s keen senses picked up the presences of hundreds of people, and he knew that
they were all waiting for him. He could never get accustomed to this amount of interest
in him. Theo had been hurt by all the interest he’d received previously in school. Still…
‘I’m not trembling thanks to you, Prince Alfred.’

Alfred had learned dignity as royalty and as a hero. In both cases, Alfred hadn’t been
the type to shrink back from ordinary nobles.

It was only a fraction of Alfred’s but Theo had a similar air wrapped around him. The
tension of standing before all those people faded into nothingness. After all, a tiger
wouldn’t be intimidated by a herd of dogs.

At that moment, the host’s voice started booming loudly, “Then let me introduce him!
The main character of this ball and the first recipient of the Silver Medal of Merit in 30
years…!”

Theo took a few steps further than the guide and found the spot designated to him.
There was only a curtain blocking him from the ballroom. Shortly after that, the
barrier was taken away as a loud voice said, “The Red Tower’s Average ranked
magician, Baron Theodore Miller!”

As Theo took a step forward, he was covered by a dazzling light. ‘Don’t shrink back.’

This wide ballroom was Theo’s stage. The grace left behind by Alfred and Theodore’s
upright nature were displayed in his steps. Some of the nobles expecting to make fun
of a rural baron were confused as they murmured to each other.

“No, isn’t he a member of a declining noble family?”

“No matter how I look, he seems like a young master from a good family…”

“He must have a good education. It isn’t easy to not shake in a big place like this.”

Their evaluations of Theo were good.

Theodore stopped five paces before Kurt III, who was waiting for him at the high
podium. Theo naturally fell to one knee, not as a noble but as a magician. However, he
didn’t seem subservient and looked more imposing than the nobles surrounding him.

“An Average of the Red Tower, Baron Theodore Miller greets the Great Sun of Meltor.”

Kurt III laughed with a cheerful expression at Theodore’s greeting.

“You can rise, Young Hero.”

Theo didn’t rush as he got up. It was dignified without being impudent. This was an
exquisite balance which even veteran nobles couldn’t easily imitate.

Kurt III admired him from the podium. In order to honour the hero who had
accomplished praiseworthy feats, the king was standing at the same level as his
servants. How many people in the records had achieved such glory at the age of 20?
He wasn’t sure but there wouldn’t be many.

In front of hundreds of eyes, the king and hero faced each other.

“Theodore Miller, listen,” Kurt III said with a small box in his hand. “You have rescued
a high elf from slavery and saved her from an unknown enemy. This feat is one that
can never be disparaged. Such a loyal servant deserves to be rewarded.”

He placed the box on Theodore’s hand and declared with a profound voice, “Listen
carefully.”

All the nobles and magicians present lowered their bodies. Then as Theodore knelt
down again, Kurt III knocked on Theodore’s shoulder.

“From this moment on, Baron Theodore Miller will be given the title of a viscount, and
he will be awarded with the Silver Medal of Merit! Additionally, he will be given 1,000
gold coins, a national treasure, and this court ball to recognize his glory!”
“We will obey, Your Majesty!” The crowd’s thunderous cheers announced the start of
the court ball.
Kurt III’s speech ended and the ballroom was instantly filled with joyful music.

♪♬♩♬!

The court musicians didn’t usually have a place to show off their skills, so they didn’t
miss this chance. The musicians literally used their whole body to pull out beautiful
tones from various musical instruments as the sound filled the spacious ballroom.
People were naturally attracted to the music, and the number of men and women
dancing with each other increased.

It was a great performance that caused even Theodore to shake his shoulders.
However, Kurt III hadn’t moved from before him despite having handed over the
medal.

“Hmm, all the formal procedures are finished.” Kurt looked at Theo with his purple
eyes and said, “There is a separate person in charge of handing you the national
treasure. It isn’t hard to recognize the person, so just act according to their
instructions.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then have a great time. You should mingle with the people waiting for you.”

As soon as Kurt finished speaking, a group of nobles gathered in a place not far away.

People with intelligence and influence in the capital had responded to the sudden ball.
Most of them were more powerful and cunning than Earl Bergen. These old snakes
were just waiting for Kurt to leave so they could descend on Theodore.

This was the young hero’s social debut.

“I look forward to your work in the future, Theodore Miller,” Kurt said as he tapped on
Theo’s shoulders, before moving aide.
No matter how high ranking the noble, they couldn’t surround Theo with the king in
front of him. Thanks to that, the area around the podium was clear for a moment. It
was a golden opportunity for Theo who didn’t like this type of bustle.

He quickly stepped down from the podium. ‘Okay, I should move quickly toward
Master or other people from the magic towers. Who will come to a place where high-
ranking magicians are?’

At least in Meltor, the status of the magicians were equal to the nobles. A 4th Circle
magician was equivalent to a baron. After that, the number of 5th Circle magicians
were drastically reduced due to the presence of the ‘wall.’ So, it was common for nobles
to earnestly honor senior magicians.

However, a barrier of people formed in front of Theo as he had that thought.

“Ahh, Theodore!”

“It is nice to meet you, Viscount Miller!”

“It is an honour to meet you!”

There were dresses which revealed the body, ornaments hanging from the ears, and
waists which gleamed in the light of the chandelier. Along with these, there were also
colourful fabrics covering white skin.

‘Soft!’

Dozens of nobles plastered themselves to Theodore while chattering. The soft flesh
and sweet fragrance clouded his head.

‘D-Dangerous. At this rate…!’ Theodore had keen senses.

However, this was the first time that he experienced this type of offensive.
Additionally, the charm of the girls who had been raised to increase the honor of their
family was fatal. It was natural to manage their skin and body, while they learned how
to talk and even trained in the art of capturing a man’s eyes.

For them, Theodore Miller would be the most charming husband.

Many of the nobles were much older than them and were frequently involved with
concubines as they weren’t sincere. So, the young women would do anything to marry
the handsome young man who was a hero.

“Viscount Miller, could you please dance a song with me?” A lady with golden hair
wrapped her hand neatly around Theo’s. The soft texture of her skin and the warmth
conveyed made him embarrassed.

He didn’t know what to do, as it was a situation where moving the wrong way could
cause a situation. As he was thinking about what to do…

“…Wait a minute, Young Lady? Do you know who you are touching right now?” A voice
rang out from somewhere. “I’m sorry, but that is mine. If you can’t give him up, are you
thinking about fighting with me? I don’t care either way.”

None of the people surrounding Theo dared to stand up to that voice. The pressure
coming from the owner of that voice was intense, and there was a large gap in their
statuses. Her appearance was revealed after the young women faded out of Theo’s
sight like a tide.

Just then, Veronica’s face appeared in front of Theo. “Ah…!”

She was wearing a black dress which clung to her body, while her clear skin was
enhanced by her crimson hair and transparent veil. Her exposed arms and even more
exposed chest naturally attracted Theo’s gaze. Compared to the upper body which had
a lot of exposure, the bottom garment was a long skirt with a deep slit in the left side.
The outfit might seem a bit crass, but once her natural presence was added, she shone
like a queen.
Theodore, the young men, and the beauties confident in their own beauty couldn’t
help being silent.

Veronica laughed at them and grabbed the right hand of the newly freed Theo. Then
as she pulled him into her arms, she whispered, “Okay, then shall I mingle with today’s
protagonist for one song?”

The areas where his hands were in close contact were hot. It wasn’t due to the mood
but the heat that Veronica was emitting. The heat wasn’t unpleasant or hard to endure,
but her scent and texture combined together to cloud his mind.

Theo grabbed the last bit of his reason and said, “Tower Master, I’ve never learned to
dance.”

“Uh, really?” Veronica’s eyes widened for a moment before she smiled. “Don’t worry
about it. It is good enough if you move according to how I guide you.”

“Guide?”

“Yes. In the east, there is a saying that ‘martial arts’ equals ‘dance,’ so it won’t be hard
for you to follow.” She winked a golden eye at Theodore who was still frowning. “It will
be okay. This kid, don’t you believe in me?”

It was a question often asked by people who shouldn’t be believed.

(Y)

As a result, Theo and Veronica’s dance was highly praised.

Veronica’s words were correct as she had considerable skill, and he just needed to
follow along. More than half the cheers were for Veronica, but there was some
cheering for Theodore.

She touched him with a sweaty palm and said, “Now, shall we go out for a breath of
fresh air?”

Theodore made a puzzled expression while Veronica smiled strangely and indicated
toward a direction. It was the terrace of the ballroom which was covered with thick
curtains. Simultaneously, Theo’s face turned several times redder. “T-The terrace?”
“Yes, do you not want to?”

“That’s not it, but…”

The reason why Theodore stuttered was simple. As she said, the ballroom’s terrace
was intended to be a resting place to cool off from the heat, but it was tacitly implied
to be a place where men and women did covert activities. Theo wasn’t well-versed in
social knowledge, but he knew this much, so it was an embarrassing suggestion.

Veronica walked past a few people and disappeared beyond the curtain first, with
Theo carefully following behind. It was probably an illusion, but he felt like the buzzing
sounds increased behind him.

Finally, Theodore appeared on the terrace where Veronica was. She was in a position
where one smooth leg was placed over the railing of the terrace. However, it wasn’t a
posture intended to seduce him. Rather, it seemed like she was trying to jump over the
railing.

Theo felt like something was wrong and asked carefully, “Excuse me, Tower Master?
Where are we going?”

“Huh? Don’t you want to go to the place where your natural treasure is hidden?”

“…So this is why you wanted to go to the terrace?”

“Of course. What’s wrong with that— …ahh.”

Veronica finally realized the agony of a healthy young man and raised her index finger
with a cheerful smile. “Heh, isn’t it too early for you? You will have to grow a few more
years before wanting to challenge this Veronica.”

“T-That isn’t it!”

“Okay, let’s go. The location of the national treasure shouldn’t be known to other
people.”

Without giving Theo time to make any excuses, Veronica swung her body over the
railing first.

In the end, Theo also jumped from the terrace. It was different from what he had
expected, but he couldn’t neglect the national treasure. So, he followed Veronica’s red
hair through the royal gardens.

Less than five minutes later, the two people came to a stop.

‘This place…?’

The place where Veronica led Theo was a huge fountain surrounded by marble
sculptures in the center of the royal garden.

Before he had time to wonder where the national treasure was, she placed her left
hand into the fountain and started to explain, “It is enough to keep common treasures
in warehouses, but things like national treasures can’t be kept in one place. Each one
has such a mighty strength that they can’t coexist. It is possible for some of them to
explode when tied with space magic, so the royal palace decided to keep the national
treasures in certain areas inside the palace.”

As Veronica spoke, the place where she inserted her hand began to boil, and the water
soon turned to steam. After all the water turned into steam, the bottom of the fountain
was revealed. Then she climbed into the dried fountain and placed the palm of her left
hand on the magic circle drawn on the bottom.

“The heads of the magic towers memorize different areas according to their position,
and I am in charge of the national treasure hidden in this fountain. I know what is
hidden, but I’ll explain after it is taken out.”

Magic power emerged endlessly from Veronica’s left hand into the magic circle and
broke it into pieces. Whenever a part of the magic circle broke, a green light emerged
from the statue at the center of the fountain. Once there was only one left, it shone
with a brilliant light.

It wasn’t magic power or aura. This was a power which belonged to an area completely
separate from Ellenoa’s vitality.

Soon enough, Veronica dismantled the last of the seal.

Wuooooong!

As soon as the magic circle disappeared, the statue where the national treasure was
hidden wriggled. It wasn’t a power which mere marble could withstand. The sculpture
couldn’t withstand the massive eruption of power and eventually burst from the
inside.

Kwajik! An emerald bead emerged from the debris of the statue.

It was indeed a strange sight.

“…What?” Theo couldn’t help muttering when he saw the bead.

There was no sense of distance or presence, but no, that changed within a minute. The
bead looked like it was in front of him as well as beyond the horizon. It felt light and
fluffy but heavier than a sledge hammer.

Theo knew about all types of treasures, but he couldn’t fathom such a strange thing.
Therefore, he listened closely to Veronica’s description.

“National treasure no. 3, Umbra.” She came to Theo’s side as she eyed the emerald
bead. “It is the legacy of a species that resides on a different level from the material
world in which we live. They are said to exist like spirits and don’t know the concept
of time and space. The one who has the bead can gain their abilities, but… I don’t know
anything more than that. Anyway…”

Veronica gently pushed Theo and said, “From now on, Umbra is yours. Take it right
away.”
Veronica’s words seemed to reach the emerald bead as the brilliant light scattered like
it was protecting itself from Theodore. Strangely, the light seemed to obscure the
shape of the bead, but he couldn’t feel the influence of magic power.

It was a natural instinct to be alert to the unknown. So, Theo couldn’t touch it
carelessly.

Theo didn’t know how long he would’ve hesitated if Gluttony hadn’t spoken up at that
moment.

-…Hoh? You’ve brought me an interesting food, User.

At the same time, Theodore was able to feel a little bit of Gluttony’s mood through
their connection. There was an intense hunger and appetite due to the presence of
Umbra. It was even more than when Gluttony saw the elder lich’s Life Vessel.

Theo noticed this fact and asked, ‘Do you know what that bead is?’

–Of course. It may not be a grimoire, but it is too taxing for you to digest right now.
Gluttony continued speaking, That quarter dragon’s explanation is half right, half
wrong. Umbra isn’t technically a species but a two-dimensional thing. It is a world where
there are no boundaries between material and nonmaterial things, and it can’t be
understood using human common sense.

‘In other words, Umbra is a type of other world?’

–You understand pretty fast. To be more precise, it is a primitive spiritual world. Unlike
the material world, the other dimension is a place where only spirits can exist.

Magicians, who emphasized understanding the world more than aura users,
recognized the existence of spiritual worlds a long time ago. Among them, the
representative of spiritual worlds was the Elemental World. The Elemental World
maintained the laws of nature and was one of the spiritual worlds closely linked to the
material world. It was said that the first elementalists could access the Elemental
World directly.

Throughout the worlds, there were also the Abyss, where evil spirits or evil gods
resided, and spiritual worlds like Chaos, which was a whirlpool of chaos, but…

According to Gluttony’s explanation, Umbra had a different shape.

–Hmm, don’t be so concerned about it. A primitive world is incomplete and easy to
collapse. In fact, Umbra is a world that was destroyed a long time ago, and this is nothing
but a fragment of the destroyed world. If it hadn’t been fixed by magic, then it would’ve
vanished.

The prey suited its taste, so Gluttony wriggled its tongue.

–I will eat to my heart’s content. I will take care of it!

At those words, Theo stretched out his left hand. Umbra struggled in the air as it felt
an ominous feeling, but Veronica was prepared for this and her magic power bound it
tightly. Above all, there was an existence more magical than it, so Umbra couldn’t
escape from the magician’s hand.

Eventually, Theodore’s left hand gripped the bead gently.

[+15 Umbra Fragment (???)]

[This is a lump of debris which floated into the material world after the two-
dimensional world Umbra collapsed a long time ago. A magician fixed it into the form
of an emerald bead. As it is based on another world, there is a strong resistance to
attacks in the material world. If the power of this fragment is absorbed, it may be
possible to manipulate Umbra’s law.

* The rating of this ??? is ‘Treasure.’

* When consumed, the power of Umbra will be absorbed.

* When consumed, there is no digestion time.

* When consumed, your spiritual awareness will increase greatly.

* When ingested, the user still won’t be able to use this ??? perfectly. A portion of the
absorbed power is sealed, allowing for only 20% of the abilities to be used.]

‘20%, that is the limit for me right now.’

Theodore had a larger capacity than another magician of the same circle, but even he
could only absorb 20%. It meant that the essence contained in Umbra was enormous.
Umbra had the same rating as the elder lich’s Life Vessel, but it was much more
powerful.

However, the remaining 80% potential wasn’t lost. Theo didn’t hesitate as he focused
on Umbra in his left hand. The bead on the palm of his hand naturally disappeared.

[The ‘Umbra Fragment’ has been absorbed. A heterogeneous power has accumulated
in your body.]

[From now on, you can get in contact with spirit bodies directly.]

[From now on, you can see spiritual bodies with the naked eye.]

[The mark of ‘Umbra’ is engraved on your body.]

[Gluttony has fallen asleep in order to save power.]

It was different from absorbing the artifacts. Umbra didn’t require a separate digestion
time, so it immediately melted into Theodore’s body after being eaten by Gluttony.

Wuuuong!

A strength which was completely different to magic power flowed through his veins.
The overflowing power of Umbra turned the capillaries under his skin into an emerald
colour, before focusing on Theo’s right arm.
This was only 20%, but it felt like his bones and muscles were going to burst.

Then a strange stamp appeared on his right arm. ‘Is this Umbra’s mark?’

The emerald patterns made of complex lines and shapes reminded him of characters
of an ancient kingdom.

Then finally, the mark of Umbra disappeared after being engraved on Theodore. It
engraved only 20% of its power and then fell asleep, waiting for the time when the
remaining 80% would awaken.

After the mark disappeared, Umbra’s abilities flowed into him. It was similar to when
he received knowledge about magic.

“…Indeed, it is a miraculous ability,” Theo muttered as he examined the knowledge

inside his head.

The knowledge conveyed from the mark of Umbra on his right arm was literally
breathtaking. He pulled back his sleeve to reveal the shining green tattoo and then
carefully touched the surface. However, someone else touched his right arm before he
did.

“Oh, it is used in this way? How strange.” Veronica came up from behind him without
any notice and grabbed Theodore’s forearm.

As he stiffened from the unexpected contact, she continued to observe, rubbing the
green tattoo with her finger. The tower masters couldn’t easily take out the national
treasures, so she couldn’t help being interested.

At that very moment…

Huuk!

Theodore’s arm suddenly turned translucent, and he escaped from Veronica’s grip.

“Eh?!”

This was Umbra’s first ability, Fluidization. Theodore, who triggered the ability
reflexively, and Veronica were both surprised. Theo’s body turned fluid without him
even muttering a word? It was something that even magicians who learned the 7th
Circle magic Astral Body couldn’t imitate.

Veronica looked at Theodore’s right arm with shining eyes as it returned to its original
state. “I-It’s been awhile since I was so surprised! Is this the power of Umbra?”

The surprised Theo nodded silently. He knew that he could use Umbra’s Fluidization
ability, but he hadn’t expected to invoke the ability just by thinking ‘I want to get out.’

If he could always use Fluidization like this, he would be able to avoid flying arrows
effortlessly. Additionally, it was possible to utilize it to pass through a wall or other
similar situations. It was a useful ability for any circumstance.

‘If I have this ability… I can beat a master level opponent!’

Certainly, the existences in the material world were very limited in their abilities to
affect the spiritual world. Even a sword master’s power would drop when it came to a
spirit body. Additionally, most magicians wouldn’t know how to fight against the
fluidity. Theo would be able to gain the advantage in any situation just by turning his
body into fluid.

However, he was too optimistic.

“Haack…! Haack…!”

Theo experimented with his newly acquired ability a few times, but suddenly
experienced a headache and shortness of breath.

‘What, why is this happening all of a sudden?’

His stamina and magic power were in a perfect state, but his condition suddenly
deteriorated. Just calculating a magic formula or moving his body caused him to be
tired. Veronica noticed the change and approached Theo to help him.

She was experienced, so she quickly realized why Theodore was in a bad physical
condition.

Veronica laughed as she held his side. “It seems like this national treasure consumes
mental power. Kid, is your magic power and stamina not good right now?”

“Yes, it is as you say…”

“Geez, this is completely unexpected. If I knew, I would’ve warned you beforehand.
Well, don’t be so depressed since there is a saying that lessons should be learned with
the body.” She giggled as she directed him to sit down on a bench. Then she pointed to
his right arm that was still glowing green. “The concept of mental power might be
quite strange, but its recovery is quick. If you sit and rest for a while, you will soon be
able to move around.”

“…Mental power, what is that?”

“Umm, let me explain it briefly.” Veronica sat down next to Theo and explained the
concept of mental power, “In short, it is the most basic force. It is no different from
using magic, aura, or even elemental power. The only difference is the importance.
Magicians who tend to rely on mana and circles often don’t know about the concept of
mental power.”

However, mental power was crucial in manipulating forces based on other

dimensions, such as magic, aura, and Umbra. If mental power was non-existent, they
wouldn’t be able to control magic based on mana. The most primitive mental power
was the only one capable of controlling Umbra’s power.

Theo’s mindset was restored due to his mental power being temporarily exhausted.

‘This means I need to train my mental power in order to master Umbra.’

There was no easy gift in this world, so the mark on his right arm was just another
homework. An ability like Fluidization couldn’t be used with no cost. By the time the
quick explanation ended, Theo’s power had come back.

“Then my explanation will end here. Can you get up now?”

“…Yes.” He carefully raised his body up from the bench.

Fortunately, the dizziness had completely disappeared, and the muscles which had felt
weighed down returned to their original condition. After experiencing mental power
depletion, Theo calmed his breathing.

Veronica turned around first and said, “Kid, what will you do now? I still have to return
to the ballroom, but you can leave first. It seems like your personality doesn’t like balls
too much.”
“…Well, that isn’t wrong.” Theo smiled bitterly and shrugged. Any other day, he
would’ve left without being noticed. However, today was Theodore Miller’s ball. There
would be bad rumours if he left without saying anything.

…Finally, he turned to Veronica.

“Let’s go. I will be happy to mingle just for today,” he said softly while holding out a
hand to Veronica.

It was minor revenge for always being dragged along by her.

Veronica’s golden eyes widened like she was startled, then she said, “Ah, right. Maybe
I was kidding about the few years?”

She smiled widely and grabbed Theodore’s palm.

The song of the young hero who challenged the red dragon… It was still an unknown
story.
[‘Reasons Why Flames Rise’ has been consumed. Your understanding is very high.]

[5th Circle magic ‘Flare Burst’ has been acquired.]

[The number of spells the user has consumed is immense. The essence of magic books
will be extracted more efficiently.]

As always, the non-emotional voice was heard in Theo’s ears, and Theo immediately
closed his eyes to focus on the knowledge.

It was different from before, when he had no problem eating several books at once.
This was a 5th Circle book, so he received a storm of knowledge. It wasn’t an amount
which could be accommodated without any preparation.

After five minutes, Theodore opened his eyes again. ‘Flare Burst… I thought it would
be a more complex magic.’

Vince spoke up from where he was watching on the other side, “Flare Burst is today’s
final book?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Try it once. Try to align the timing of the magic spell accurately.” Simultaneously,
Vince’s magic power boiled up.

The blazing magic power drew a magic circle in the empty space, and a pillar of heat
appeared inside. Flare Burst was an attack magic in the war mage period which turned
a lot of enemies in a mass of charcoal.

Just before Vince’s magic created the fire pillar, Theodore also completed the same
magic in front of him.
“Flare Burst!”

Immediately before the two fire pillars collided…

Hwaaack-!

Then the flames shot at each other and clashed. The high temperature and flames,
which were fierce enough to burn humans, began to spread. This was the flame which
had swept up all the hobgoblins on their way to Mana-vil in the past.

“Hrmm, the degree of completeness isn’t bad,” Vince remarked.

The two magicians had formed a shield and were watching the competition between
the two fire pillars. The flames struck exactly in the middle, and after waiting a while,
Theo’s was gradually pushed to one side. Vince’s Flare Burst had a slight advantage. If
this was the case, Theodore would have been turned into ashes.

However, the pushing and pulling between fire pillars ended abruptly. As soon as all
the magic power contained in the circles was gone, the two fire pillars disappeared
like they had never existed.

It was determined that Theodore’s Flare Burst was a success. Vince removed the
remaining heat and approached the spot where the fire pillars collided. The ground
had melted due to the strong flames, but it solidified again as soon as he chilled it
lightly.

Vince touched his chin and evaluated it, “…Indeed, it is an incredible proficiency for
someone who has never used the magic before. An ordinary magician would have to
devote two or three years of training to reach that level.”

“But Master’s Flare Burst is faster than mine. The momentum of your flames is also
more intense.”

“Well, if you use the same spell for more than a decade, you will pick up some tricks in
using it. That is the difference,” Vince explained in a dignified voice before adding.
“Things like how to concentrate the flames more reliably and how to construct the
magic circle faster… The knowledge gained from books is certainly valuable, but the
wisdom refined from experience is also important. Don’t forget that the ability of the
grimoire is just one part of you.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.” Theodore nodded lightly.

As Vince said, Theo had only gained the fundamental principles and knowledge on
how to use the magic Gluttony extracted from the things it ate.

The know-how and application of the magic which mages accumulated after years of
experience couldn’t be learned from eating. However, Theo didn’t neglect his skills, so
his talent was much better than it had been half a year ago. It was the result of devoting
himself to magic training every day for half a year since the battle with Superbia and
the court ball.

“Theodore, you have now reached a level where you can be called a master of the 5th
Circle. I, Vince Haidel, acknowledge your accomplishment.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, you are just one step away from the wall of the 6th Circle. It is hard teaching a
disciple who grows so quickly,” Vince said before giving a warm laugh. His disciple was
growing too quickly.

Theo hadn’t even been of the 4th Circle when he left the academy, then he broke
through the 5th Circle after being sent to his hometown. He was now almost at the end
of the 5th Circle and on the edge of becoming equal to Vince.

Vince used his experience to teach his disciple, but it was doubtful he would have
enough knowledge to keep up at this rate. After some time, Vince might not be able to
handle him alone.

‘No, now isn’t the time to think about it.’

Vince thought for a while before changing the topic. “Today’s magic training is up to
here. Then let’s start the scheduled mental power training. In fact, there isn’t much I
can do to help with this part.”

“No, I realized how to use this power thanks to Master’s advice.”

“Well, you can think about it that way.”

Theo laughed at his mentor and raised the sleeve covering his right arm.
National treasure no. 3, Umbra… After absorbing the bead on the night of the ball, it
had remained in the form of the tattoo and scattered a green light continuously. It was
evidence of ‘Umbra,’ a treasure which surpassed the boundaries of matter.

Theodore’s eyes turned bluish. ‘Fluidization!’

The moment the light flashed, his whole body turned transparent. Wind passed
through his body, and it temporarily transcended the realm of matter. The current
Theo could do many impossible things.

Indeed, what were his abilities after training for half a year?

Syuok!

After his body turned transparent, Theo suddenly disappeared into the air and
appeared a few dozen meters away. The speed he used to reach his destination was
clearly beyond the laws of physics.

If the purpose of Fluidization was to just appear in another place, it wasn’t as good as
a short-ranged Blink.

‘Okay, I will do it a few more times!’ Theodore sensed that he was still capable of more
as he disappeared and appeared again a few times.

Vince secretly admired Theo’s movements around the room.

They were ultrafast movements using Fluidization. Since Theo wasn’t affected by the
boundaries of matter, there weren’t any of the side effects associated with space
jumps. Even aura masters wouldn’t be able to capture the timing of Theo’s
appearances.

This was the fraudulent power given by the national treasure, Umbra.

“Hah…! Hah…!”

However, the ability also came with something being consumed. Theodore performed
five or six space leaps in a row before sitting down with dizziness and a headache. This
was the headache which resulted from the consumption of his mental power. It was
like the condition of a human body when running long distances.
This terrible pain was an indication that Theo’s spirit was growing. The method of
training his mental power was extremely simple: use the ability to its limit, let it
recover, and then repeat the process. In a sense, mental power was like the muscles.
By repeating these actions, the limit could be increased.

Of course, the answer was simple, but the execution was different.

Theo stood up after 10 minutes to see Vince looking at him in an uncomfortable

manner. The headache had been so intense that it still felt like his head was spinning.
Theo had trained for half a year in Fluidization, but his limit was still half of his original
goal of 10 space jumps.

Theo barely regained his balance and wanted to ask something.

Vince noticed his feelings and advised sharply, “Don’t be so hasty.”

Theo was taken aback and felt ashamed, but Vince just shrugged. Recently, he realized
that Theo was getting distracted. No, the reason for the distraction was obvious. It was
time to face the ‘wall’ again.

“As I said before, you have mastered the 5th Circle, so you’ll have to leap to the next
level if you want to achieve more. I know that it is hard and frustrating, but you will
only get hurt if you rush it.”

Vince had spent 10 years at the 5th Circle, so Theo couldn’t disregard his advice.

The Meltor Kingdom had a much higher number of senior mages than the other
countries. It was the result of magicians who had passed the ‘wall’ transferring their
knowledge down to their disciples, creating a cycle which could last dozens of
generations.

Theodore listened to Vince’s words with a serious expression. “Master, what should I
do then?”

“Hmm, if you were an ordinary magician, then I would advise you to build up
experience steadily, but… there might be another way if you use Gluttony’s abilities
well.”

No matter how much of a genius a person was, they still needed luck to cross the wall
of a circle.
Vince and other Superiors of the magic towers had once been called geniuses, but they
rarely went beyond the limit of the 6th Circle. It was a path of despair which they
couldn’t escape from, other than building up their efforts.

However, a forked path existed for Theodore.

“It is like when I ate the elder lich’s Life Vessel.”

If he ate a Treasure ranked artifact, then he might be able to break through the wall of
the 5th Circle at an unprecedented rate. Of course, it wasn’t easy to obtain things like
an elder lich’s Life Vessel, but it was better than waiting for a moment of
enlightenment.

To Theodore, who was tired of being at a standstill, it was the most advice he would
be able to hear.

Vince said as he put on his robe, “If you have recovered, let’s go. It will soon go beyond
the time that we have reserved this room.”

Theodore checked the clock on the wall and picked up his robe. “Oh, it has already
happened.”

The robe hanging on the wall was smooth and well-maintained, looking exactly like
when he’d received it before the ball. Theo was now fully accustomed to putting on
the robe and headed to the exit of the magic training room one step in front of Vince.

However, the moment that Theo placed his hand on the door knob… “Eh?”

A person opened the door to the training room from outside. He wore a grey robe
without the colour of any of the magic towers, indicating that he was an apprentice
magician. Instead of completing the academy’s curriculum, apprentice magicians
earned achievements by acting as the Magic Society’s internal messengers.

The magician in the grey robe apologized first with a perplexed expression. “Ah, e-
excuse me!”

“It’s okay. It seems like you are looking for us.”

Due to the difference in positions, the messenger bowed his head a few more times
before revealing his purpose. “Are you Vince Haidel and Theodore Miller?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

“I came because there is an urgent notice from the Magic Society. It has been issued to
both of you.”

As the two people remained confused, the messenger took out a piece of parchment.

Then he started to read the contents to both of them, “This is a message to all Superior
ranked magicians who are in the capital. The Andras Empire has recently expressed
their intention to send a delegation here. All magicians who receive this
announcement should gather in the auditorium at the center of the Magic Society!”
The Andras Empire…

The so-called sword empire, famous for its power, had existed for centuries as an
enemy of Meltor.

The two nations which occupied different parts of the northern region of the continent
were similar in many ways due to their long rivalry. However, the core power
promoted in the Andras Empire was aura. Just like how the Meltor Kingdom was
dedicated to fostering senior magicians, the Andras Empire nourished aura users.

The Andras Empire was said to be a kingdom of sword kings.

Additionally, boys and girls were required to undergo mandatory rigorous training at
an agency operated directly by the Imperial Household Agency when they reached the
age of seven. Two thirds of the students died, but the empire was able to form a corps
of powerful aura users, more numerous than any other country.

“The biggest problem regarding the Andras Empire is that something so crazy
produced results. A country that has seven sword masters in one generation can’t be
found anywhere else except the Empire.”

The result was the existence of the Seven Swords who represented the Andras Empire.

It was why the Andras Empire didn’t lose to the Meltor Kingdom, who had two 8th
Circle magicians and a number of senior mages. Aura users who achieved the state of
a sword master were already close to a living storm.

The most well-known sword master was said to have not stepped back in a battle with
Veronica.

Theodore carefully listened to Vince’s words and asked, “…Then why is the empire
sending a delegation? They seem like people who will speak with swords rather than
words.”
The Meltor Kingdom had already been struggling against the empire for hundreds of
years. The education system had been designed a long time ago to emphasize the bad
aspects of enemy countries and inspire hostility towards them. However, despite that
education, Vince Haidel didn’t deny the stereotypes. It was because the military power
of the Andras people whom he’d encountered on the battlefield wasn’t actually lacking
in comparison to the portrayals in the stories.

At the very least, they preferred getting into sword fights rather than arguments.

“Umm, that may be the case for those not involved with politics. Countries that rely on
force can’t last for long. The Andras Empire is scary because they know how to use
force differently.”

“Using it differently…”

“The mission this time is to talk about the armistice which was signed in the last war.
Of course, you are one of the reasons.”

“Huh? Me?” Theodore was surprised by the sudden change in topic.

However, Vince answered the question casually, “They are wondering about your
relationship with the high elf and Elvenheim. They also doubt the authenticity of the
hero who appeared half a year ago. The ambassadors will probably start the
bargaining in earnest after seeing your value.”

“Hah, international relations are fairly complex.”

“It means that you are a key figure. The status of a high elf is larger than I’d thought.”

In Elvenheim, a country where half the elves on the continent lived, there were only
five high elves. The recently added Ellenoa increased it to six, but that didn’t change
the fact that they were extremely rare.

Therefore, they had a huge debt to Theodore Miller who had defended the sixth high
elf. Due to this, they might change their position of neutrality which they had
maintained for hundreds of years.

Even if Theodore wasn’t of the Superior rank, they would’ve called him separately.
This was a phenomenon which Vince could guess easily. From the perspective of the
Magic Society, it was no surprise that Theo was treated exceptionally well in the
Superior rank.

‘It is a specification that can be a little annoying.’

There were uninvited guests when he was concentrating on magic training, so Theo
couldn’t help clicking his tongue.

He wouldn’t complain if it was a mission, but he didn’t want to be treated as stakes in

politics.

(Y)

Shortly after their conversation, Theo and Vince reached the destination.

‘Tch, as expected.’ Theo moved forward while ignoring the gazes which had begun to
gather on him.

The number of people increased as he got closer to the auditorium, and they all
recognized him. After all, there was only one young Superior with dark hair. There was
no one in the Magic Society who wouldn’t recognize the hero, Theodore, whose name
had been sworn in at the court dance half a year ago.

Some of the gossip from the magician entered his ears.

“That young man is Theodore Miller…?”

“He is younger than I thought. It seems like the rumour that he has barely turned 20
years old is true.”

“Becoming a 5th Circle master at that age… I can’t believe it. He is also the only
survivor of the convoy. He is a prospect of the Red Tower, so maybe they exaggerated
that achievement?”

“Well, let’s just watch for a while. We will know if his name is exaggerated or real.”

There was no need to respond, so Theo just ignored their voices and crossed the
threshold of the auditorium. It was the venue which the Magic Society used for
presentations during the annual magic contest, so the space was huge. The 100
magicians gathered there were unable to fill up the auditorium.
However, there was something which filled up the empty space.

‘Even though this is such a big place, the density of mana is awful… Ordinary people
wouldn’t be able to breathe properly in here.’

It was a terrifying mana flow! A total of 132 Superior ranked magicians were gathered,
raising the mana density to unusual levels.

Theodore was forced to admire the fact that the intangible mana could become so
heavy. If the magicians in the room concentrated their powers intentionally, the target
would immediately be overwhelmed by the tremendous pressure.

At that moment, an old man suddenly appeared on the stage of the auditorium. “Huhu,
everybody has gathered quickly.”

Strangely enough, the old man didn’t lose his composure among the waves of mana
which felt like a tsunami. Looking closely, the old man’s surroundings were calm like
he was the center of a typhoon, It definitely wasn’t a common phenomenon.

However, Theo had a lot of experience with ‘them’ and realized it.

‘That person, he is at the master level…!’

A 7th Circle magician who went beyond the limits of a human and could adjust the
laws of nature… Only masters could dominate and control mana itself. It was possible
to manipulate the pressure of mana, just like they controlled their own limbs.

Theo had never met the president of the Magic Society before, but he was another
powerhouse master. Indeed, he was qualified to be the president of the Magic Society.

“First, I would like to thank you for coming despite the sudden announcement. The
coming of the Andras delegation wasn’t planned, so this old man heard about it too
late. Thank you for your understanding.” The president of the Magic Society bowed
and expressed his heartfelt gratitude for their presence.

After his words, the discomfort on the faces of some people was wiped away forcefully.
The important issue right now was the Andras Empire’s delegation to Meltor.

Once that unspoken consensus was reached, the president of the Magic Society raised
his head again.
“Then I will start talking. Everyone has heard the news that a delegation from Andras
is coming to Meltor, so I won’t mention it. We have gathered here to discuss how to
treat the uninvited guests,” the president of the Magic Society started his speech
eloquently. His voice rang throughout the auditorium, which would allow Theo to hear
it clearly even if he were outside.

There was an interesting mix of information in the speech which resonated with
Andras’ aggression and brutality.

There was one thing that especially interested Theo.

‘Isn’t the practice of having daily duels more like the custom of an orc village rather
than an empire?’

It wasn’t a modest fight where they sparred against each other. This was a real life-
threatening duel where people often died in the process. In the Andras Empire, there
were men who climbed to the position of duke after a duel as well as a slave who
occupied the seat of one of the empire’s Seven Swords.

These duels were even applied to other countries.

“Does everybody know? In Andras, duels are a battle for life, not the moderate fights
that we know. 30 years ago, a group of magicians clashed with the ambassadors,
resulting in several casualties. Don’t follow in the footsteps of the past.”

The arrival of an Andras delegation happened two or three times a century, but there
was bloodshed every time. This had to be avoided as Meltor had suffered massive
damage with the destruction of the convoy half a year ago.

Apart from the damages, if the Andras Empire thought that the Meltor Kingdom was
weak, they might invade again.

The magicians gathered in the auditorium nodded at the words.

The president’s words were plausible, and there was no logic to refute it. More than
anything else, he added a few words at the end which made their blood chill. “Oh, two
of the Seven Swords will be joining this delegation. There is no hope if you are greeted
with the blade of a master.”

The nemesis of senior magicians, the sword masters…!

They were reapers of the battlefield who could cross a gap of several hundred meters
in an instant and cut through their defensive spells like they were trash.

Since childhood, magicians were raised with a fear toward sword masters, so the
veteran magicians stiffened as they faced reality. A sword wielded absolute strength,
so magicians below the 7th Circle were just like straw to them.

As the auditorium grew quiet, the president’s eyes turned in another direction. It was
toward Theo, who was sitting on the edge.

The president of the Magic Society met Theo’s gaze and advised in a loud voice,
“Theodore Miller, you should be especially careful. As the main target of the
delegation, you shouldn’t accept their duel challenges no matter what.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I don’t doubt your competence, but you should refrain from uncertain gambles since
this is about the relations between nations. Don’t fall into the foolishness of youth.”

After seeing Theo accept his cautionary words, the old man turned his eyes to another
place.

‘Andras delegation… and the sword masters.’ Unlike the other magicians, Theodore
wasn’t intimidated at all. No, he was actually feeling a little expectant.

Of course, he didn’t think he could compete against the masters. However, Theo was
knocking against the wall of the 6th Circle, so he might get new inspiration from the
existence of the masters themselves.

As the atmosphere in the auditorium remained tense, Theodore formed fists under
his desk silently. He had a feeling that his six months of quiet were ending.

Six days after that, a group of delegates arrived, including two sword masters.
“Your Majesty, the Andras delegation has crossed the threshold of the palace!” A royal
knight reported.

Royal knights always reported three times when meeting the ambassadors of another
country. It was when they passed through the gate, crossed the threshold of the palace,
and finally when they entered the hall.

The royal family was always ready to meet the delegation in accordance to the report
as it gave them time to calm their minds. This was the second report, so there was still
some time before the Andras delegation would arrive.

Kurt III nodded from where he sat on his throne. As soon as the royal knight stepped
back, the air in the room became heated.

“They finally came, those barbarians from the Andras…!”

“I’m curious about what they are going to say.”

“Sending two sword masters, did they not have the guts to come alone?”

There was a sense of solidarity based on hostile feelings. It was even more so when
the opponents were their centuries-long enemies. The magicians, who were
whispering in hostile voices, were dressed in court robes of red, blue, yellow, and
white. The robes were divided into four colours and were proof of which magic tower
they belonged to. They were the 132 Superior magicians who had been summoned
recently. The current generation’s youngest Superior,

Theodore Miller, was also waiting for the delegation’s arrival with the rest of the Red
Tower magicians.

‘’Isn’t the atmosphere tougher than I expected?’ Theo thought as he looked around.

It was different from when they gathered in the auditorium. This space was narrower
than at that time, and the gathered magicians were hostile toward the Andras
delegation. So, the mana in the surroundings was like a raging storm. It was obvious
that the enormous pressure would overwhelm the delegation once they entered the
hall.

No, maybe that was the reason why all the magicians had convened.

“…Is this a war of nerves?”

“You saw it correctly.” Theo whispered to Vince who replied in agreement. “It is
childish but effective. The pressure will be enormous if all these magicians are
gathered.”

“Won’t the Andras delegation think of it as a weakness?”

“It is common. The Andras Empire also creates a sense of oppression by using a
collection of elite knights. Furthermore, it is rare for the Meltor Kingdom to do this
with anyone besides the Andras Empire.”

This was an exceptional case in many ways. Theodore accepted the explanation and
turned back to the front again.

It was hard to find a precedent where 132 senior magicians as well as dozens of high
ranking officials and nobles were gathered. In particular, two tower masters were
standing in the vicinity of the throne, ensuring that the king was thoroughly protected.

At that moment, the third report rang out from outside the door.

“Your Majesty, the Andras delegation is seeking an audience with you!”

“I’ll allow it.” As soon as Kurt III answered, the room fell into a cold and intimidating
silence.

The eyes of over 200 people were concentrated on the doors of the audience hall, and
they soon spread open. Beyond that, there was a sight which surprised Theodore.

Rattle, rattle, rattle.

There was steel and more steel. Shining metal armour reflected the light pouring from
the chandelier. The Andras delegation were dressed head and toe in armour, with no
skin showing at all. The steel corps entered through the door with orderly steps.

Then as if it had been waiting, a shock wave of mana struck them.

Kuuuuong!

“…Kuk!”

“Umm…!”

The Andras delegation experienced the extremely unusual pressure with their heavy
armour.

Ironically, it was more annoying due to their heavy armour. The pressure pushing on
their heads and shoulders became stronger with every step, as moans emerged from
the mouths of the knights who could no longer endure it.

There were only five steps left to the center of the audience room when the pressure
reached a level which the delegation could no longer continue walking under. Even the
elite knights couldn’t advance one more step due to the pressure!

In that fearful space, two men walked out.

Huuk!

It was amazing. They wore more splendid armour and walked through the mana
storm.

There was a knight a few heads taller than the others and another knight with black
hair flowing under his helmet. By the time these two knights reached the center of the
room, the pressure of the fierce mana had already faded away.

Finally, the two knights stopped once they saw the king. Then they took their helmets
off and went down on one knee.

“The great Andras’ 7th Sword, Lloyd Pollan, greets the sun of Meltor.”

“The great Andras’ 4th Sword, Pan Helliones, greets the sun of Meltor.”

The empire’s 7th Sword, Lloyd Pollan, and the empire’s 4th Sword, Pan Helliones…
These two men overpowered the atmosphere with their short introduction and rose
to their feet. Just like how the Tower Masters received the reverence of Meltor, the
same was true for the Seven Swords of Andras as the rights given to them was just
below that of the Emperor’s.

Kurt III eyed the sword masters before speaking, “It has been a long time, Sir
Helliones.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This is the first time since the last agreement.”

“We have known each other for a long time. What do you think about getting rid of the
futile formalities?”

The knight with yellowish skin and black hair smiled like he was pleased. “Pan
Helliones will follow Your Majesty’s will.”

“Then I will be blunt.” On the other hand, there was no hint of laughter on Kurt III’s
face.

The king’s dignity couldn’t be overlooked by the sword masters, despite having no
aura or magic power. As the ambassadors gulped involuntarily, the king of Meltor
asked in a loud voice, “Are you hoping for an extension of the truce? Or do you once
again wish for war?”

It was extremely straight-forward behaviour.

The ambassadors, who were covered in steel, and the magicians, who were pretending
to be invisible, were perplexed. Usually, there would be a series of procedures, but
Kurt III had shattered the traditional customs with a few words.

The two sword masters couldn’t hide their confused expressions either, but they
quickly regained their composure.

“You are still bold. If so, I will speak bluntly like Your Majesty wishes,” Pan Helliones
said with shining eyes. “I’ll ask first. The story of the hero who saved the high elf that
emerged from Meltor half a year ago, is it true?”

“Why do you care about that?”

“We were told by His Majesty to confirm the authenticity of the story. This Pan
Helliones is one of the Seven Swords, so I have to do as the Emperor wills.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You have increased your eloquence during the time in which I
haven’t seen you,” Kurt III retorted in a cynical tone. “You want to discuss the truce
after confirming the relationship between Meltor and Elvenheim. Am I wrong?”

“……” The two sword masters remained silent. However, only an idiot wouldn’t realize
that the silence meant affirmation.

Kurt III displayed a scornful expression at their silence before opening his mouth to
speak again. Since they said that it was a mission for the Emperor’s knights, then he
wouldn’t turn away from the thrown bait.

“Well, good. Let’s not quibble over your intentions. How do you plan to check the
authenticity of the story? Will you send an envoy to Elvenheim to ask?” Kurt III
prompted.

“…A knight of Andras doesn’t trust words. It is the same for the testimony of the elves.”

“Then?”

The big sword master knocked on his belt like he had been waiting for this. The heavy
gauntlet made a sharp sound as it collided with the sheath of his weapon.

Kang!

“There is only one law in the empire which is to prove the strength! If we see the hero
fight, we will know the truth. Your Majesty, please let this Pan Helliones see the young
man!”

“Ridiculous!” Kurt III rejected the request. “What if you use the pretext of the duel to
kill him?! Even if he is a hero, he is only 20 years old. Isn’t that shameful as a sword
master?”

Kurt III’s rejection was like the roar of a beast.

Lloyd looked up at Kurt III with admiration. As expected of Andras’ enemy, the Meltor
king. His dignity was at a similar level to that of the Emperor. He wasn’t an enemy who
could be threatened or manipulated. Having been on the front lines for decades, Pan
Helliones had been well aware of this for a long time.
Therefore, he prepared his own compromise. “Your Majesty, I have no intention of
doing such a thing. If I do that, we will gain Elvenheim’s hostility, and the Andras
Empire doesn’t want such a thing. I am just trying to make a useful suggestion.”

“…Don’t just end your talk with empty words.”

“Of course. Rebecca!”

As soon as the call was made, a knight walked over to the two sword masters. The
person’s build was much smaller than the others, and the reason was immediately
revealed. Kurt III’s eyebrows raised the moment the knight took off the helmet.

Golden hair poured down like gold dust.

“4th Sword Pan Helliones’s disciple, Rebecca, greets Meltor’s sun.”

Her face was beautiful, but compared to the daughters of nobles, she gave off a distant
feeling. There were cuts on her skin and few decorations. It was evidence that she was
extremely indifferent to her own appearance. Perhaps that was why she gave off a
rather manly look.

The two swords hanging from her waist proved she wasn’t just an ornament. Indeed,
she seemed like the embodiment of a steel knight.

“…They weren’t just empty words.”

The power of aura gave strength regardless of gender, but the stereotypes about the
abilities of men and women couldn’t be completely eliminated. However, the sharp air
around her was enough to strip away those stereotypes.

Theodore used the eyes of a warrior to see her essence.

‘She’s a senior aura user, and she is of a similar age to me.’

An eerie chill went down his spine at the assumption that she would be an enemy. He
didn’t feel like there was no chance of winning, but she was dangerous. When looking
at his peers, was she equal to Sylvia?

A genius aura user who had become a master’s disciple at a young age. However,
unlike Sylvia, whose emotions were immature, the eyes of the female knight showed
that she already knew the realities of a knight.

Simultaneously, a strange sense of discomfort irritated him. ‘Where have I seen that
face…?’

Theodore Miller was certain; he had never seen this woman before. Nevertheless, the
knight called Rebecca gave off a familiar feeling. Maybe he had met her relative before.
However, he didn’t have any more time to think about it.

“Let me ask you again, Your Majesty.” Pan Helliones, the 4th Sword of the Andras
Empire, suddenly turned his eyes toward Theodore. “Sword and magic… Why don’t
we let the youngsters of the two countries dance together?”
However, the rude demand couldn’t be accepted immediately. Pan Helliones had
proposed a friendly match between the two countries. As Kurt III didn’t say anything,
Pan Helliones stepped back to respect the king’s will.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere became heated. So, the talk couldn’t progress further,
and the delegation left. No, maybe that was the delegation’s intention.

As the atmosphere in the room turned dreary, Kurt III muttered in a low voice, “…He
is still tricky, Andras’ 4th Sword.”

The empire’s 4th Sword, Pan Helliones… His big build made him seem dull, but he was
actually quite crafty. He was a politician who knew how to take advantage of his
appearance as an ignorant swordsman to strike the opponent.

Perhaps he had intentionally avoided talking about the whole story in the first
meeting. If the proposal was accepted, they could review Theodore directly. If it was
rejected, they could leave this place like they were victims. In other words, either
answer wouldn’t be a loss for the Andras Empire.

The old man in the blue robe, Blundell, nodded like he agreed. “He is a bothersome
opponent. He is probably expecting us to refuse the proposal. That way, he can stall
for some time during the negotiations.”

“Meanwhile, the rest will go through the capital and gather information. Their
intention is probably to drag out the time.”

“Yes, I think so as well.”

Kurt III and Blundell frowned in a similar manner.

The White Tower’s intelligence network was watching the delegation, but the
opponents were an elite group accompanied by two sword masters. The empire’s
Seven Swords could block off the intelligence network directly. It might be different if
the White Tower Master was in the capital, but he had left for a remote region after
the last meeting about the convoy.

‘It is better to get rid of them as soon as possible.’

Of course, Meltor’s security wasn’t that poor, and there was little chance of anything
major or confidential being leaked. However, the problem was that even the slightest
possibility was offensive. The enemy they had been facing for centuries was growling
at their border.

Kurt III naturally turned to one person. It was Theodore Miller, one of the people who,
along with Blundell, had been ordered to remain in the hall after the delegation left.

“Tell me honestly. You do not need to accept this offer. I know it is a high demand, and
there will be no penalty if you refuse.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“But if you are able to defeat them thoroughly, we will have a considerable advantage
in the negotiations.” So, he asked as the king of Meltor, “That Rebecca, can you beat
her?”

Theodore replied without any hesitation, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Even if you don’t use the power of the national treasure?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kurt III would like to believe Theo’s confidence. However, the king’s fighting ability
wasn’t that great, so he didn’t have the knowledge to judge accurately. He would only
make the decision after deliberating with the two greatest masters in Meltor.
“Veronica, Blundell. What do you think?”

Veronica came forward like she had been waiting. “If they fight 10 times, he will win
nine times, and there will be one tie. At the very least, I don’t think there is a chance
of the kid getting hurt.”

“Hoh, is that so?”

“I will bet my name, Your Majesty.”

Kurt III was surprised by the answer. The duel opponent was the disciple of Pan
Helliones. Rebecca’s young age and pretty appearance weren’t reasons to devalue her
strength. As the most likely candidate for the next generation of sword masters, her
skills should be close to the peak. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have joined this delegation.

Still, the odds were nine victories with one draw? In effect, that meant victory.

“Hmm, this old man has the same opinion. It might not be a one-sided match, but he
won’t be lacking in quality. As long as the conditions are good, it is impossible for him
not to win.”

“Then there is no reason for us to show our backs.” A smile spread across Kurt III’s
face at the answer he obtained.

Until now, he had been hesitant to accept the delegation’s suggestion because he had
calculated the losses and benefits. He would gain nothing and lose a lot, so there was
no reason to make the gamble.

However, if the chance of victory was 100%, then it wasn’t a gamble.

“Minister of State.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Look at the treaty from the last truce. Report on the land that can be obtained from
near the border. Moreover, look up any conditions that you think can be rewritten!”

“As the Minister of State, I will accept Your Majesty’s command!”

Excitement filled the Minister of State’s face at the king’s powerful words.

This was a chance to take something away from the Andras Empire. It cut into his
holiday time, but the Minister of State was boiling with motivation. His associates also
nodded eagerly at the king’s command.

Kurt III looked at Theo’s face again. After receiving the assurance of the two tower
masters, the king’s purple eyes were filled with wonder as well as an unknown
emotion.

“…It is strange. After the elder lich’s defeat and the rescue of the high elf, you are now
once again entrusted with a great deal of responsibility.”

“Your Majesty.”

“There is no need to be humble. Your merits are already at a level where they can’t be
hidden.” Kurt III got up from the throne as a light gleamed in his eyes.

For him, the Andras Empire were an enemy which had killed many soldiers. They were
a symbol of bloodshed which had threatened Meltor since Meltor’s first king. This was
a chance to beat them peacefully, so there was no reason to hesitate.

He gazed into the air and spoke in a heavy tone, “They always come with force. They
cross our borders to steal our scarce wheat, and they have plundered and burned our
homes. The ink used in the armistice is the blood of our people, and the borders that
have been redrawn a few times are the broken arms and legs.”

The king’s voice contained sincere and profound emotions. Hearing it, the atmosphere
of the room naturally became solemn. Magic power rose around some bodies while
fighting spirit appeared in the eyes of others. Theo was kneeling before the king, and
he too felt that way.

Everyone in Meltor had lost someone in the wars against the empire.

“Theodore Miller.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The solemn voice of the king grew stronger. “Take the name of Meltor, fight, and win.
Teach those fiends the history of this country! Let them know what a large and mighty
enemy they have created! And I will give you a reward for the victory!”

Theo replied in a powerful voice to the edict, “I, Theodore Miller, will do as Your
Majesty commands!”

(Y)

The news that the hero, Theodore, and a disciple of a Seven Sword would duel spread
like a thunderbolt. There was already agitation from the delegation, and the duel was
like an oasis in a desert. Despite the attendance being extremely limited, the audience
seats were completely filled.
Theo looked around the area. ‘…Wow, there are almost no faces that I don’t know.’

He had stayed half a year at the Magic Society, so he had met many people. Due to his
relationship with Veronica and Sylvia, he was able to know almost all the famous
people in the capital. However, the majority of the celebrities were gathered in this
place. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the people gathered here were within the
top 2 or 3% of Meltor’s national strength.

It meant there was great interest in this duel. In addition to Kurt III, there were
members of the royal family who rarely showed their faces, so Theodore could
definitely feel the burden. Therefore, the feeling of discomfort he felt toward the face
of his opponent had diminished.

Soon after, Blundell climbed to the stage since he was acting as the referee. As it was a
fight between a magician and knight, the stage was quite wide. The two people
listened to Blundell’s words as they receded to the edges of the stage.

“Meltor’s side, Theodore Miller.”

“Yes.”

“Andras’ side, Rebecca.”

“Yes.”

Blundell received an answer from both of them and knocked against the stadium floor
with his staff, producing a blunt sound. The strength of the hulking magician damaged
the floor, and the sound’s volume was so loud that people sitting in the audience
covered their ears.

Blundell silenced the surroundings and spoke, “The duel will start with this sound.
Prior to that, make an oath as representatives of both countries. The winner will
tolerate the loser, and the loser shouldn’t forget to honor the winner. If I think the fight
is over, I will stop you from attacking any further.”

Theodore and Rebecca nodded. Theo didn’t know his opponent’s heart, but he didn’t
dare object in a situation where Blundell Adruncus was the notary. As Theodore’s and
Rebecca’s eyes met, Blundell raised his staff up high.

Then it slammed down against the stone floor. Kakang!

Two streams of light emerged from Rebecca’s sheath before the sound even finished.
They were double swords called scimitars. She shot off like a thunderbolt, quick
enough that some of the people in the audience missed it. Some would die without
even realizing that Rebecca had pulled out the swords.

Fortunately, Theodore didn’t belong to that group. Rather, he noticed the posture
Rebecca had taken as she pulled the swords out, and his sense of discomfort increased.
Theo had seen it somewhere before. He also faintly remembered the attack which
immediately followed.

Shortly after that…

“Hup.” Rebecca appeared in front of Theo with a slight breathing sound.

There was no room to panic or react. Her two swords turned into flashes of light with
no warning. The light emitted from both her hands moved up, down, left and right,
and twisted like a whirlpool around Theodore. It was a sword technique which
wouldn’t leave even one bit of flesh unsliced.

Six consecutive strikes from the left hand and six from the right hand. A dozen attacks
poured out almost simultaneously.

Chwaaaaak!

The arena’s floor cracked like a spider web. The materialized aura was a type of
weapon which could even damage the defenses of senior magicians. Rebecca was
already at her peak, and her strikes could shatter 5th Circle defense magic.

Everyone was shocked by the torrent of attacks from Rebecca.

“Ohh!”

“How did those attacks…?!”

“The rumours are true!”

Lloyd, one of the Seven Swords, lost his dull expression as he exclaimed, “…Excellent!”

The target of the exclamation wasn’t toward where Rebecca, the disciple of Pan
Helliones, was standing. His eyes were more intense than usual as he gazed at the
young man who moved 12 times. This level of movement wasn’t usually seen from a
magician.

Theodore, the youth who broke Rebecca’s 12 attacks, faced her with a cold expression.
He was completely sure after the series of strikes.

She had showed him the swordsmanship of Randolph, the mercenary leader who had
slaughtered the ghoul wyvern in his hometown. They were either relatives or had
studied at the same school…

‘Think about it once I defeat her.’

Theo removed all other thoughts, and his magic power boiled up as he gazed at
Rebecca’s back.
‘Battle Song. Sonata of Speed. Allegretto.’

As the duel progressed, Gluttony’s mouth was chanting the spells under the glove
which covered Theo’s left hand.

Theo had triggered Sonata of Speed as soon as the duel began, allowing him to respond
to Rebecca’s preemptive strike. Compared to Randolph’s swords, she was lacking
power, and compared to Superbia, she lacked speed.

Before Rebecca could move again, Theo cast his magic hurriedly, “Chain Lightning!”

A net of lightning instantly covered dozens of meters. Regardless of one’s speed, there
was no way to escape from the chain of lightning. Just the power of one stream of
lightning was enough to fry a person. If Rebecca hadn’t raised her aura reflexively, then
the match might’ve been decided here.

Pajijik! Paijijik!

“Kuk…!”

However, receiving damage was inevitable. The lightning penetrated the gaps in
Rebecca’s armour and struck against her aura, causing smoke to rise from her armour.
It was pure destructive power, one of the reasons why aura users found it hard to
compete with magicians.

Therefore, knights always tried to avoid a magician’s attacks or went for preventative
measures. They had to stop Chain Lightning and other magic before they were
activated. Thanks to this, Rebecca was one step slower.

“Lightning Spear.”

A brutal attack came from Theo just as she managed to escape from the lightning.
Lightning Spear focused on one point, so it could cause deadly damage to a body
protected by aura. Theo called five lightning bolts in mere seconds and aimed for
Rebecca’s abdomen. Simultaneously, the five streams of lightning struck horizontally.

It was possible to respond to one lightning bolt. Three would be difficult even if she
was fully prepared. By the time it reached five bolts, even elite knights couldn’t avoid
a serious injury. This was impossible to defend, and trying to avoid it would also be
meaningless.

Therefore, Rebecca boldly grasped her double swords and struck the lightning bolts
head on. “Hap!”

Blue aura leaked from the blades, and the two swords broke through the lightning
bolts. The remnants of the lightning, which weren’t completely eliminated, struck her
fingers, but she never let go of her swords. No, her hands actually held on tighter.

There were three more Lightning Spears. Even if she took care of two more, there
would still be one remaining.

Rebecca gritted her teeth with a determined expression.

Kiiing-!

The moment that her two swords struck two lightning bolts, the remaining one hit her
abdomen.

Peeeeeong!

It was awful. Rebecca swallowed the blood which had risen into her mouth and put
strength into her legs. Her concentrated aura defense had burst, and the impact was
transmitted inside her. Fortunately, there was little impact on her combat strength.

As she returned to herself, Rebecca pointed the tips of her swords toward Theodore.

Theodore couldn’t help admiring her fierce fighting spirit. ‘She is fairly familiar with
pain. Additionally, her body is hard enough to block a Lightning Spear. I don’t think she
can be defeated by an ordinary blow.’

In fact, he had restricted his own abilities to a certain extent in this duel. It was too
dangerous to show the power of Umbra, a national treasure, to another country’s
delegation, let alone the empire’s Seven Swords. He had various hidden cards, so he
decided not to use any skills related to Umbra.

The case of Magic Bullet was a little special.

‘…I can’t control the strength.’ Theo was worried about the power of his index finger.

After regaining the original strength of Magic Bullet, he had only shot it once against
a human. Despite the fact that he had suppressed the output, the power had still been
enough to leave a wound on Veronica’s cheek. If it hit a vital point, the person would
die before a healing spell or potion reached them. He didn’t want to kill someone who
might be related to Randolph.

Theo’s aim was to knock her down thoroughly. The determination in his eyes
deepened, and he ran toward Rebecca.

“What, he’s approaching?!”

“A magician going into close range…”

“Once again, those guys from the Red Tower have strange heads!”

Buzzing chatter could be heard from the stands.

Theo stared at the double swords pointed at him and accelerated toward Rebecca. For
a magician to enter a knight’s close range voluntarily… This was an effective method
of provocation.

Rage sparked in Rebecca’s green eyes.

Shaaack-

Her scimitar blades disappeared like they had melted into the air. This acceleration,
which used the power of aura, had the ability to disrupt the laws of physics, which in
turn caused the swords to move faster than the air resistance. That speed exceeded
even Theo’s enhanced eyesight.

The duration was short because it consumed aura rapidly, but it was a secret
technique which increased her speed by a few times. A storm of steel raged around
Rebecca. Even an ogre famous for its sturdy muscles and solid skin would be turned
into minced meat if it got close.
The audience started screaming when they saw that Theo was heading into that
storm. Rebecca’s technique was a terrible weapon.

Theodore felt in awe as he jumped into her storm. ‘Truly fast. Is it speed-focused
swordsmanship like Randolph’s?’

The tips of Rebecca’s swords came down and aimed to cut his waist into pieces. Lee
Yoonsung’s experience was essential as he used Shift Energy to turn away the blades.
The robe with defense magic was turned into a rag, but the result was that Theo was
only bruised.

The storm of steel didn’t touch him, as he moved through it like a light feather. Of
course, the reason was also due to the difference in their abilities. Theodore was much
stronger than before.

‘It is lighter than Randolph.’ More than anything else, there was a difference in the
weight of the falchions and scimitars, as well as their arm strength. If the strikes had
been as heavy as Randolph’s and at the same speed, Theo would be cut easily.

Due to the lack of weight on the swords, it was easy to shift the orbit by hitting the
sides of the blades.

‘She is slower than Superbia.’ Superbia had a bizarre form and was able to shift to the
traits of powerful creatures. Among them, the caracalos tail was one of the feared
threats, and the speed and sharpness of Superbia had been enough to beat Alfred.

However, that comparison wasn’t proof that Rebecca’s skills were lacking. After the
Pupil Tournament, Theo had gained Lee Yoonsung’s book and absorbed all of Alfred’s
abilities, so he had a definite advantage. That said, Rebecca certainly had enough
talent to be chosen as a disciple by one of the Seven Swords.

Theodore calmly deflected her swords until the end. No matter how efficiently the
swords were swung, the human body didn’t have an infinite capacity. Inevitably, it
would reach its limit. It might be different for a sword master who transcended the
limits of life. However, Rebecca was still at the level of an elite knight, and she was
unable to maintain the storm.

“Su…suaa…” She had a shortness of breath and a pale complexion, and her muscles
were trembling as she held onto her swords. The perfect storm of swords became
weaker and began to collapse. Theo calmly waited for her to reach her limit.
He didn’t care about his arm which had become bloody after deflecting the swords
and simply stared on with ice-cold eyes. Finally, the moment came.

“Haack!” She reached the limit of her breathing and a tortured gasp burst out from
Rebecca’s mouth.

The movements of her two swords stopped completely, and Theo stepped into that
gap. He used a winning technique; the palm of his hand touched the defenseless body
naturally.

‘An ordinary blow won’t deal much damage…!

‘Memorize. All Slots Open. Shock Impact. Penta United.’

The shock wave attack magic, Shock Impact, was contact magic normally used to break
down walls. However, Theodore had excellent melee skills, so he could use it this way.
The five accumulated shock waves would exert a destructive power which could
penetrate aura.

Shortly after that, the huge shock wave hit Rebecca’s breastplate.

Kwaaaaang!

Rebecca’s body was thrown back with a tremendous sound. She bounced a few times
along the ground before barely stopping at the edge of the duelling stage. This was a
good chance, so Theo didn’t hesitate to call some Lightning Spears.

If Rebecca tried to counterattack, then he would intercept immediately. However,

before she could stand up, a person jumped down from the stands. Theo stopped the
lightning reflexively and stared at the person with a tense face. It was a situation
where only one person could intervene.

“Sir Pan Helliones?”

“That’s right.” The big knight, Pan Helliones, nodded as he hoisted Rebecca onto his
shoulder.

Pan Helliones didn’t seem angry, so Theodore withdrew the lightning spell. Although
Pan Helliones had jumped down here, Veronica was clearly visible behind him.
Everybody had a hunch that the duel between the two countries had ended.
“I admit defeat, Meltor’s young hero. Your abilities are certainly beyond my disciple’s,
and I am grateful that you didn’t take her life.” Despite the shameful verdict, his voice
contained a clear respect.

The empire was a place where they believed what they saw with their own eyes, not
through words. The man before Theodore truly acknowledged him.

“What does that mean?”

“This duel is the Andras Empire’s defeat! I will accept this result in the name of the
empire’s Seven Swords!”

One of the empire’s Seven Swords declared defeat! The audience realized the weight
of this result, and the air around the delegates grew heavy. The empire’s logic of
communicating with strength had always been victorious.

It was only once in several generations that they would be defeated like this in a public
duel. This was clearly a big event which would be mentioned in the history books.

Then Kurt III clapped his hands, and the unnatural silence of the audience was
shattered.

“…!!!” The magicians and courtiers yelled, causing the voices to echo. The loud cheers
were enough to cause shivers. In the center of this, Theodore and Pan Helliones stared
at each other. He couldn’t read any emotions in Pan’s black eyes.

Therefore, Theodore couldn’t understand his identity. No, it was more accurate to say
he wasn’t sure.

‘…That guy.’

The moment Theo had stepped toward Rebecca, just before he’d used the shock wave
magic… He wouldn’t have felt it without his sixth sense, but there had been a terrifying
killing intent. Due to that murderous feeling, the timing of his magic had been delayed
by one beat.

That killing intent had been from the imperial sword, Lloyd Pollan.

Looking at the back which had already turned around, Theo went down from the stage
with a grim expression.
After accomplishing a perfect victory in his duel with Rebecca, Theodore didn’t head
toward the dinner venue. Instead, he headed to the infirmary of the royal palace.

Theo came down from the stage in a much better state than Rebecca, but that didn’t
mean he was without damage. The power of the blade which was literally like a storm
had leapt beyond the defensive power of ‘Battle Song.’

The healer clicked his tongue when he saw Theo’s tattered forearm. “…How terrible.
It isn’t easy to heal injuries caused by aura, but this is more than that. Simple
treatment using potions or herbs would be more effective than magic.”

Basically, the mana which passed through a person’s body was altered according to
the person’s inherent nature. In order to resonate with that nature, magicians
minimized the degree of deterioration by forming an artificial circulation organ called
circles, but knights were different. For them, their inherent nature was merely a good
thing. Since aura strengthened physical abilities, the closer it was to the user’s own
nature, the greater the efficiency and power would be. However, this left behind traces
which interfered with magical healing.

“So?”

“Yes. Knight Rebecca… the density of her aura is already reaching the level of a pro-
knight. If you suffered a serious injury, you might’ve been lying in bed for months.”

“Then how long will it take for this wound to heal?”

“Please wait a moment.” The healer carefully examined the stab wound on Theo’s
forearm. There was occasional pain, but it wasn’t enough to make a fuss about it.
Theo’s behaviour was like that of a veteran soldier.

The healer used his magic power to heal the wound before lifting his head again.
“Fortunately, the blade didn’t enter too deeply. I will use a healing spell, apply a
medicine and then a bandage. The wound should be healed in three days.”
“Three days…”

“Oh, please avoid any heavy exercise or movements for a week. The wound might
reopen.”

Theodore had no reason to refuse, so he nodded gently.

The healer proceeded to start the full-scale treatment. First, he removed the aura
remaining in the wound with healing magic, then he connected the muscles in the
blood vessels which hadn’t healed yet. Subsequently, the blood completely stopped
flowing out. After the bleeding stopped, the healer performed a simple treatment with
potions and herbs.

The healer’s workmanship was truly worthy of a healer working in the royal palace. A
white bandage was wrapped around one of Theo’s arms, and the pain from the wound
was away. Theo moved the arm wrapped in the white bandage and said, “It is much
better. Thank you very much.”

“…It is nothing. Rather, I should be thanking you.” The healer checked the bandage’s
knot meticulously and laughed at the gratitude.

He had been employed as a royal healer for several decades. Once the war broke out,
the number of patients he treated had been in the thousands, and hundreds of them
hadn’t been able to be saved. Their lives had been taken by the Andras’ blades.

“It was always a victory if we returned from the battlefield, and a defeat if we returned
with the bodies of our colleagues. So, there were times when I regretted being a healer.
I couldn’t fight, and sometimes I blamed myself for choosing who to leave behind.”

“……”

“But today, I knew what it felt like to win for the first time.”

It was too early to call him an old man, but wrinkles could clearly be seen on the hand
which gripped Theo’s. Perhaps he had also been sitting in the audience and had seen
with his own eyes the imperious and rude demands of the empire.

The healer bowed his head and thanked Theo once again, “Meltor’s Hero, it is an
honour to treat you with these hands.”
“…It was my pleasure.” Theo was forced to accept the fierce praise.

He felt burdened by the healer’s emotions and left the infirmary after a brief goodbye.
Most of the crowd was at the dinner party, so the corridor was a few times darker and
emptier than usual. As soon as the door closed behind his back, a cold silence fell.

“Hoo, it is too burdensome.”

Whether it was positive or negative, it didn’t fit Theo’s nature to attract the attention
of others. He was able to put on a firm face after absorbing the experiences but
encountering such sincere praise made him feel itchy.

‘What should I do now?’ He walked down the corridor while locked in thought.

The soft sounds of his footsteps rang out amidst the silence of the corridor.

Veronica had encouraged Theo to go to the dinner party when he was available, but
he didn’t want to go to such a burdensome place. He also didn’t think he could rest
comfortably in a place where the two sword masters were.

It was much more attractive to use his injury as an excuse to return to the tower, as a
political place would obviously be uncomfortable in many ways. Furthermore, there
was a destination he hadn’t thought of.

Theo advanced a few steps before stopping and breathing lightly. He looked over at a
shadow in a corner of the corridor and said, “Why don’t you come out now?”

The shadow was faint like fog. Despite his senses being refined to the limit, he only
grasped the hiding place after a few minutes. As Theo’s voice rang through the
corridor where nobody was present, ‘he’ naturally appeared. It was like he had been
there from the beginning.

Lloyd Pollan, one of the empire’s Seven Swords, shrugged and said, “Oh, I followed you
unintentionally.”

“…I thought you were attending the dinner party?”

“I’m sorry, but Meltor’s food and alcohol don’t suit my tastes. I was going around on a
walk.”
It was nonsense, and Theo regretted that he couldn’t dismiss it. Theo stared at Lloyd
with cold eyes. Although it was a separate building, a sword master wouldn’t be
allowed to wander around the royal palace by himself. Besides, a walk? It was a
pathetic excuse for following the winner of the duel.

“What did you come to me for, Sir Pollan?” Theo struggled to suppress his indignation.
It was pointless to be rude here. Theo lacked the power or position to be rude. Lloyd
also knew this fact. If Veronica or Blundell were near, then he would’ve disappeared
quietly.

‘A sly human.’ Theodore had an accurate insight into Lloyd’s nature.

“The purpose… I suppose it is an apology.”

“Apology?”

“As you already know, I made a mistake during your duel with Rebecca. I didn’t know
that your senses were so sensitive. You responded to my killing intent that I
accidentally let out, and I admire that,” Lloyd praised with a smile, but his eyes weren’t
warm.

On the other hand, Theodore paled as he noticed the meaning of the words. Lloyd was
saying that he didn’t mean to disturb the duel, but his killing intent had leaked out
accidentally leaked.

It meant that… this sword master wanted to kill Theodore Miller.

“Well, you don’t need to be tense here.” Lloyd smiled and continued saying, “I was
scolded by Number 4 because he read my killing intent. At the very least, it is
impossible to cut off your head here. It is regretful, regretful.”

“…Why?”

“Huh?”

Theo spoke the words he had been repressing, “Why do you want to kill me?”

This wasn’t an order from the Andras Empire or from Pan Helliones. He wondered
why Lloyd Pollan was so eager to kill him. Murderers killed people for no reason, but
it was unlikely for a sword master. Theo was more curious than afraid of the master.
Lloyd sincerely sighed at the bold question.

“Hoo, it really is a pity. Why wasn’t someone like you born in the empire?” He
grumbled in a low voice before continuing, “10 years, that is the deadline of this truce.”

The emotionless face started to spout terrible facts, “In the next 10 years, you will
become an enemy of the empire. My senses have never been wrong even once.”

“Your senses… You want to kill me for such an uncertain reason?”

“You… Did you use more than 30% of your power in that duel?” There was conviction
was in Lloyd’s voice, so Theodore remained silent. “You have the potential to match
the Seven Swords in the future, so I think I should kill you here, even if that causes a
war.”

“Ah…!”

There was an eerie killing intent. The killing intent pressing down on Theo was
different from Superbia’s. It felt like a sharp blade was being held against his neck.
Still, the sword never came flying. Lloyd just passed by, like he meant his words about
not killing Theo here.

His voice gradually moved further away, “10 years later, I won’t let you live like today.”

Theo couldn’t move from his spot even after Lloyd had completely disappeared. The
killing intent of a sword master was indeed terrifying. He would’ve fallen down if he
hadn’t built up tolerance in the fight with Superbia.

In retrospect, it was fortunate that he hadn’t exposed Umbra and Magic Bullet. Lloyd
would have rated Theo higher and might’ve ignored the command given to him in
order to kill Theo. Theo wouldn’t go obediently, but there was no chance of winning.

“Yes, 10 years,” Theodore murmured in a low voice.

10 years… it was both a long and short period of time. After that, he would be
sentenced to death by a sword master. Hearing that, anybody would feel fear. However,
Theo just laughed at the words. “I won’t be relaxing.”

He had jumped from the loser of the academy to Meltor’s hero in one year. Things
which would take magicians a month only took a few days for him. Then weren’t 10
years for Theo like a hundred years for ordinary magicians? Common sense didn’t
apply to the owners of grimoires.

A sword master was definitely a great existence. ‘But I don’t think that it is an
insurmountable wall.’

Theo took a step forward. He regained his original stride and left the place where he’d
met Lloyd. It was yet to be decided as to who would be the one to fall 10 years later.

(Y)

Kkiiik. The doorknob turned with a small noise.

Theo arrived at somebody’s room and looked inside it carefully. As soon as he entered,
the smell of herbs and potions hit his nose. He removed the smell with simple wind
magic and looked in the direction of the occupant.

With golden hair, green eyes, and vivid features, Rebecca, the duelist for the empire,
looked at Theo from where she lay on the bed. Her ribs, which had been broken by the
shock wave, were bandaged and traces of herbs were visible on bruised skin. Her
condition was completely different from that of Theodore, who was wandering
around.

He was confused by the situation as he sat down in the chair beside Rebecca’s bed.
Theo had no other choice.

‘…No, what is going on?’

Theodore had entered Rebecca’s room because he wanted to ask about Randolph.
However, the guard standing in front of the room had let him in easily after his identity
was proven.

‘Why did they just let me in?’

Theodore was famous, but the Andras Empire and the Meltor Kingdom were still
enemies. Why would they obediently let in a visitor from an enemy country? He just
wanted to tell the guard to mention Randolph’s name to Rebecca and see if she
responded to it. However, the empire’s delegation didn’t hesitate to let him in to see
Rebecca.
The atmosphere was awkward. Rebecca’s eyes stared at Theo without blinking,
increasing the burdensome feeling. He didn’t know how to start. In the end, Theodore
opened his mouth to say a simple greeting, but Rebecca spoke first.

Her voice was like a clear bell which resonated clearly, “Have you come to exercise the
rights of the winner?”
Theodore’s expression became grave at her words. He came here because he had
business with her, but it felt like he was being misunderstood. The same was true for
the guards who left the two people alone in the room.

Therefore, Theo decided to ask what the winner’s rights were. “What are the winner’s
rights?”

“…I’m sorry. Of course, Sir Theodore wouldn’t know the concepts of the Andras
Empire.” Rebecca stared at him and explained, “The empire doesn’t guarantee the
loser’s life. Only the winner can spare the loser’s life, and the loser must hand
something over in return. This is done regardless of the clauses in the conditions of
the duel, and there will be severe punishment from your family if you reject.”

“……” Theodore was speechless at the harsh explanation.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the barbarian empire spoke with swords and
strength instead of words. The winner was strong, and the loser was weak. It was a
food chain of violence which wasn’t related to ethics or morality. A society with a
system where the strong could do anything simply because they were strong wasn’t a
society but a group of animals.

Theo was astonished at how a nation with such a primitive system had become an
empire.

‘No, this might be what made it possible.’

The people had to survive intense training during their childhood. Then once they
joined the society, they had to survive in the competition called the duels. The harsh
process would inevitably create seasoned killers. From the most powerful army in the
northeastern continent to the empire’s Seven Swords… The custom of blood and
tribute might just be the driving force behind the Andras Empire maintaining its huge
size. In many ways, it was a country beyond common sense.
Theo became dizzy from the culture shock. However, he soon regained his sanity and
continued the cut off conversation. “This place isn’t Andras. Will you still listen to my
request?”

“Yes, I am Andras’ knight.”

“…It is hard to understand. I don’t know what is the upper limit of the demands.”

Rebecca was silent for a moment before opening her mouth to say, “It is possible to
demand wealth, statue, and even skills. Slavery doesn’t exist, so it is impossible to
become a slave, but you can hire the other party for free one time. If the two parties
have different genders, there might be a special request.”

“Special request?”

“…A one night stand.” The subject naturally embarrassed Rebecca and her voice was
subdued. Her face flushed as she gazed down.

Theodore was at a loss on how to respond. He examined her figure lying down
unconsciously before clearing his throat a few times. However, Rebecca couldn’t help
noticing his eyes.

Rebecca gazed at Theodore with cold eyes and said, “I’m sorry but I have no
experience. My body is also in this state, so if you want me, you’ll have to take care of
everything. My clothes are thick, so you’ll have to take them off yourself.

Theo became embarrassed by the blunt words and hurriedly waved his hands. “No, I
have no intention of doing that!”

“Is that so? I guess Sir Theodore can’t be satisfied with someone like me. I’m sorry.”

“…Dame Rebecca, please don’t tease me.” Theodore belatedly realized she was joking
and dropped his head with a sigh.

“Ah, I’m sorry. You are more innocent than I thought.”

From their first contact till now, Theo had thought Rebecca was an old-fashioned
knight, but she could actually joke this way. The smile on Rebecca’s face was very
mischievous, and her light smile really caused her to resemble Randolph.
Then Theo recalled what he wanted to ask, “Rather, I wanted to ask Dame Rebecca
something.”

“What?”

“Do you know a man called Randolph?”

As the name flowed from his mouth, the smile on her face faltered.

Rebecca looked at Theodore’s face like she was seeing a demon, and the colour of her
skin was so pale that it was like she was a statue. The reaction which she couldn’t hide
was proof that she knew Randolph.

She stammered as she asked Theo, “T-That name, where did you hear it?”

“First of all, I want to know his relationship with you. I can’t disclose it prior to
knowing that.”

“…I see.” She was excited for a moment, but she quickly restored her breathing, and
her complexion returned to normal.

Her composure was similar to Theodore’s. This was the talented mind and body of
someone accepted as a disciple of a sword master. Rebecca gazed at Theo silently
before making up her mind. “Sir Theodore, can you make it so that sound doesn’t leak
out of this room?”

He quietly created a wall of silence.

(Y)

The Andras Empire was a country where everything was determined through
violence. The empire’s Seven Swords reigned at the apex and could be called the
leaders of the people. In fact, they had the right to rule over everyone except the
emperor.

Assets like estates or property were meaningless. What value would that have to a
sword master who was like a walking storm? They had omnipotent power within the
empire.

The clans which the Seven Swords came from could be called the heart of the Andras
Empire.

“Our family, Clovis, was once prestigious within the empire as we had produced one
of the Seven Swords.”

According to Rebecca, around 130 years ago, the Clovis family had risen due to the
presence of a sword master. For the first time, their house had been filled with
chandeliers and luxurious furnishings. They had believed it would lead to hundreds
of years of trust.

However, that belief had been shattered.

“One day, His Majesty gave a decree. Track down the warlock disturbing the empire
and cut off his head.”

The Seven Swords were absolutely obedient to the emperor. The sword master
ancestor of the Clovis family received the order and crossed the border. However, he
never returned.

The clan’s downfall had begun from that time. The sword master hadn’t been able to
fulfill his emperor’s order, causing the jackals to descend upon them, and the Clovis
name had been dropped in an instant.

Randolph and Rebecca had been born into that dying family.

“My father had his own skills. He didn’t have enough strength, but he searched for
talented women and sowed his seed.”

“You mean…”

“Randolph and I are half siblings.” Her cold eyes stared into the distance, like she was
gazing at someone who wasn’t here. “Most of the children he created were failures.
Apart from Randolph and I, the others were sold to other families. In order to raise a
sword master, the family needed to put all their strength into one person.”

Magicians were born, but the empire had their own way of fostering aura users. Genius
children were selected and elixirs poured into them. Then they would be fostered by
one of the Seven Swords, and there was a high probability they would become the next
generation of sword masters.
Randolph and Rebecca had both met the criteria of a genius. However, Clovis hadn’t
had the power to strengthen both of them. It was a situation where the clan had to
abandon one of the two people. At that time, there had been tests to inspect the quality,
so Randolph and Rebecca had been forced to be on opposite sides.

Then Randolph Clovis had gone on to leave the house in the middle of the night. It had
been for the sake of his sister.

“He left a letter saying he would see me again, but… since then, I haven’t heard any
news about him,” Rebecca spoke up to there and looked at Theo quietly. Her green
eyes were a little bit wet. Her story didn’t seem to be false. Additionally, she had no
reason to lie. Why would she need to create a detailed soap opera for Theodore, who
didn’t even know the climate of the Andras Empire?

That was why Theo decided to talk. “I met Randolph half a year ago.”

His voice flowed in the room surrounded by Silence magic, and Rebecca became much
brighter as she listened to the story.

She was surprised to hear that Randolph had been searching for their ancestor’s
double swords and then delighted once she heard he’d found them in the elder lich’s
dungeon. At that moment, she looked like a girl her age.

“I see. He is still my brother.”

Rebecca listened to her favourite parts again before burying her body back into the
bed with a satisfied expression. She seemed to have forgotten about the pain of the
broken ribs. The conversation between the two people as well as the Silence magic
was almost over.

Ding! At 9 p.m., the bells rang through the royal palace, signaling the start of the night.

It wasn’t an appropriate time for an adult male and female to stay in a room together.
Theo hadn’t realized how much time passed and quickly got up from his seat. This had
been a pleasant time in many ways.

“Then I will be going. It is funny for me to say this to a person I wounded, but please
be careful.”

“Ah, Sir Theodore—” Rebecca tried to call out to him, but her ribs hurt, so no voice
emerged from her parted lips.

In the end, the door closed, leaving her alone. The room grew quiet as Rebecca
carefully stretched out a hand toward the door. She hadn’t paid the price of defeat yet.

“…Let’s promise to meet in the future, Sir Theodore.”

She vowed that she would repay this debt someday as she closed her eyes.

(Y)

The thing which happened after that was really ridiculous.

Theo left the room and stared at the guard with lukewarm eyes, before returning to
his room with a feeling of uncertainty. As always, he fed two books to Gluttony and
made a training schedule before falling asleep.

Then he was pounced on the next day. Theo had been planning to ask Veronica for
some training when he was suddenly turned several times in the air, with the source
being Sylvia and Blundell.

It was then that Theodore realized a rumour had spread, and he recalled Rebecca’s
playful smile.

‘That pair of hateful brother and sister are both the same!’

He had never expected a blow from Randolph to return this way. Theo struggled to
escape from Blundell’s clutches but eventually gave up.
The two countries’ discussion continued for a few more days.

Using the pretext of goodwill from Theo winning the duel, the Andras Empire was
forced to sit at the negotiating table in an unfavourable position. It wasn’t just because
Rebecca had been defeated by Theodore. After it was revealed that Lloyd Pollan had
snuck away from the dinner party, the delegation was forced to bow their heads in
apology to Meltor for the trouble they had caused.

Four days later, the new agreement between the two countries was settled.

“Then I will check the final version.” Meltor’s chief delegate, Karlov, read through the
new agreement slowly. “Both Andras and Meltor have extended the deadline of the
existing armistice agreement to 10 years from now. Furthermore, Andras will transfer
the Purth, Begul, and Hergen estates to the Meltor side of the border. Additionally, the
management of the three iron mines and one gold mine, of which the ownership is
unclear, shall be taken over by the estates concerned. The ratio of tariffs…”

The dozens of great and trivial clauses were read in a loud voice, with none of them in
favor of the Andras Empire. The longer his voice continued, the more the faces of the
delegation wrinkled. No, the Meltor side was inwardly grinning as they looked at those
crumpled faces.

How many opportunities would they get to negotiate a favourable deal with Andras,
the strongest military power on the northern continent? In Meltor’s long history, it
was a rare case which couldn’t even be counted on five fingers.

Karlov continued for nearly 10 minutes before stopping.

“It is accurate. The Andras Empire agrees with Meltor’s proposal and will extend the
armistice agreement with such conditions.” The surprising thing was Pan Helliones’
reaction. He accepted the agreement, which was disadvantageous for his country,
without any objections.
Meltor had prepared many countermeasures in case the empire refused, so they
couldn’t help being taken aback by the easy agreement. However, as a result, Meltor
had obtained what it wanted.

Having lost the excuse of negotiations, the delegation was forced to leave the capital
city of Mana-vil six days after arriving.

(Y)

‘Six days is really too quick.’

Theodore laid down the book he was reading and looked at the delegation moving
through the gates.

It was a sight which could only be seen from the highest buildings in Mana-vil, the tall
magic towers. He looked at someone using ‘Hawkeye,’ but unfortunately, she still
wasn’t recovered enough to use a horse.

‘If she really was riding, then I would be more scared.’

Afterall, she had received five Shock Impacts from a close distance without dodging.

Theo looked at the bandage which was still wrapped around his forearm. He knew
that aura was excellent for defense, but the defensive power of a skilled knight was
beyond imagination. He didn’t use all his power, but only a few of her ribs were
broken?

If it hadn’t been a situation where most of the aura had been deflected, it might not
have ended with just a scratch on his arm.

A day would come when he would feel the attack power of an aura user again. If they
reunited someday, Rebecca would be several times more terrible than she was now.
There was no spare room for Theo to enjoy the short victory.

In the past six months, many nobles had tried to court him which was why he hid in
the library.

“…It should be okay if I move.” Theo moved his arms several times and gradually
loosened the bandage wound from his wrist to his elbow.
Fortunately, the skin beneath it was neat, and there was just a single trace of a scar.
According to the healer’s advice, it was still too early for strenuous exercise, but Theo
could move it. Thus, Theodore moved his body lightly while reading a book.

“Theodore! Theodore Miller!” Somebody’s voice rang out in the hallway.

Theo responded to the call by raising his body. “Yes, did something happen?”

“Ah, here you are! I am Andy from the Magic Society. I have been directed to bring
Theodore to the society’s main office.”

“The society’s main office?” Theo asked with a strange expression.

It was at the top of the central magic tower and was a room which magicians normally
didn’t have access to in their lifetime. By default, tasks were solved by the four towers,
and the society just handled the legal procedures. The society’s president was
normally the only one in the room.

“Yes, the president of the Magic Society called you directly. He wants you to come as
soon as you can.”

“Well, I understand. I’ll go straight away.”

The Magic Society’s library was located at a fairly high level. Theo had to climb up
several floors from this library, so he put the book away. Then he started walking
behind the messenger, Andy. The office wasn’t far away, so the two people stopped in
front of a door after five minutes.

As always, Theo was soon left alone. He then touched the society office’s door carefully.
The door was lighter than it looked, and a soft light shone from inside the office.

“Oh, you came,” the old man he’d seen at the gathering last time, the president of the
society, greeted Theo in a pleasant voice.

Veronica waved from where she was standing beside him. Theodore stepped forward
and bowed. Neither of them were people he could treat comfortably.

“Red Magic Tower’s Superior, Theodor Miller greets the President and Tower Master.”

“It is good to see you. Sorry for my sudden call but there is something that we need to
do.”

“It’s okay. I was just finishing what I was doing.”

“Then I’m glad. Now, sit down.”

Theo took one step further at the words.

“Ah?” However, he was shocked to see something behind them. No, it was more
accurate to say that he freaked out.

The shape of the ‘thing’ which appeared in the soft lighting was so shocking that he
almost reflexively shot out a Magic Bullet. Maybe he didn’t feel its presence because it
wasn’t a living creature? It looked like a statue of a bald troll.

‘A statue, a statue.’ Either way, it wasn’t a decoration that the Magic Society would place
in its office. The dynamic nature of the awful appearance made it seem like the troll
could come alive at any moment.

However, as the surprised Theodore sat down in a chair, the two people didn’t explain
what he was seeing.

The president of the Magic Society opened his mouth with a wry smile, “The work this
time turned out really well. I didn’t think the people of Andras would accept the
proposal. You were the high elf’s escort, and you’re now the main contributor of this
agreement.”

“You’re overpraising me.”

“No, not at all. Don’t you know it yourself? The reason why I called you here.”

Frankly, he did have an idea. “A reward, isn’t it?”

The president’s mouth stretched widely at Theo’s hesitant answer. “Correct. His
Majesty and I discussed it with the tower masters and decided to give you a reward.
The problem is that it is still top secret, so there will be a lot of controversy if we award
it externally.”

“Secret…”
“Keep this in mind. It is an item not even known in the Yellow Tower except for me and
the tower masters. Therefore, you won’t be able to avoid punishment if the
information leaks.”

The president tried to warn him, but the listening Veronica immediately cut off his
words. “Old Man, why are you trying to scare the kid? We decided to give him the
reward, so we will take responsibility.”

“No, it is still…”

“Kid, you know this much, don’t you?” Veronica cut the old man off again and grinned
at Theodore.

Theo nodded hurriedly, and the president swallowed his words. He wanted to grumble
about people not respecting the elderly these days, but it would seem like he was
bullying a pretty girl. More than anything else, he wasn’t the senior in this place.

[From there, can I explain?]

At that time, a scraping sound like wood being scratched resonated through the room.
The president and Veronica didn’t react much, but Theodore instinctively sprung up
from his chair. The flowing voice irritated his nerves.

Theo moved 10 meters away from the direction of the sound, then he looked at the
source. Once he saw it, an absurd expression appeared on his face. “…The statue, it
spoke?”

It was as he said. The bald-headed troll-like statue was moving like a living creature.
It rubbed its neck several times before sitting down on the floor. Then the eyeballs
carved of stone stared at Theo and it started laughing.

[Kuha, ha, surprised? Long time, see, reaction.]

Of course, Theo was surprised. Even the legendary gargoyles didn’t flap their wings
like they were real. The same went for golems created by ancient magicians and
dwarves combining their strength. They moved roughly like dolls and exerted a
powerful destructive strength. That strength was wonderful, but there were no
records of any golems which acted like real people.

The bald troll transcended modern magic. However, it didn’t transcend the laws of
physics.

Kwaang!

Veronica couldn’t stand the jarring laughter and kicked the bald troll in the shins. The
statue was half-crushed by the blow and thrown to the floor of the office, cutting off
its laughter. In many ways, it was an unusual situation.

Veronica spoke with her foot on the statue, “Didn’t I tell you a few times not to laugh
out loud, you gremlin? Don’t scare the kid.”

[This, strength, old lizard…!]

“What?” A vein throbbed on her forehead as she shouted and moved her feet a few
more times.

Kwaang! Kwaang!

One hit and then two hits to the arms and legs. The statue was beaten up and had no
limbs. Veronica’s kick could smash a heavy door, so even the statue which was beyond
modern magic couldn’t withstand it.

The president sighed heavily at the sight and looked at Theodore. Maybe he had seen
this sight a few times.

Theo looked at his attitude and asked carefully, “President, that statue…?”

“Hmm, I didn’t want to do the introductions in this messy situation, but it can’t be
helped.” The president pointed to the statue which had been turned to scrap metal.
“As you can see, that statue is extraordinary. The way it moves and the materials it is
made up of are unidentified. It is an unknown golem that only a 7th Circle magician
can control.”

This was one of the undiscovered mysteries of the magic towers.

“Yellow Tower Master Norden… He is controlling that statue.”

Theodore swallowed a breath.

In fact, he had guessed it before the Magic Society’s president replied, but the feeling
after it was confirmed was different. The only possible existence was the Yellow Tower
Master. He was the mysterious tower master whose age and gender was unknown.

According to rumors, he had the right to refuse any summons, and no one other than
the tower masters and the king could meet him. The top floor of the Yellow Tower was
literally a forbidden area.

According to the president of the Magic Society, even he had only seen the Yellow
Tower Master once or twice in 100 years.

“Wait, did you say 100 years?”

“That’s right. I understand your surprise, but it doesn’t end here.”

Theo was amazed by the large number.

“According to the central office, the magic towers were built according to his designs,
and he contributed to the prosperity of this country more than any other tower
master. Norden’s position in pharmacy, alchemy, metallurgy and architecture is
already equal to a god’s. He is the reason why the northern continent boasts of more
superior artifacts than other regions.”

“The design of the magic towers…?! But President, according to your explanation, the
Yellow Tower Master should be-”

“At least 600 years old.”

It was an answer beyond imagination, so Theodore finally became speechless.

From what he remembered, the magic towers had been built around 500 years ago
and had completed their structure over several generations. The prosperity of the
Meltor Kingdom was said to have taken a few steps as soon as the magic towers had
started functioning.

The Yellow Tower Master was the foremost pioneer of the Meltor Kingdom! It was no
wonder as to why the royal family had kept the secret of his identity. His extraordinary
lifespan and transcendental capabilities would be burdensome if exposed.

‘More than 600 years old… he is definitely not human.’

A sword master or magician couldn’t live that long. Elves boasted a long lifespan of
200 years, but even the high elves who inherited the ancient linage only lived up to
approximately 300 to 400 years old.

If he had to choose a candidate as beings that lived forever, it would be the demons or
gods, or the dragons that were praised as the strongest creature. However, it was too
much to accept them as the correct answer.

More than anything else, their species couldn’t become magicians. Magic was a skill
tailored to the human species, and they learned it from other species. For those
innately born with magic, they had no desire to learn such an inefficient system. It was
absolutely impossible to have the magic ability to lead civilization into new types of
fields while living as a tower master.

The magic society’s president picked up on Theo’s thoughts and laughed. “It is
useless.”

“Huh?”

“The things you are thinking about right now have already been covered by numerous
magicians. As long as he doesn’t reveal his identity, it will be pointless to make any
assumptions. So, don’t worry too much about unnecessary things.”

As if to confirm those words, the fighting between the two tower masters finished. The
banging sound from a corner of the office stopped, and something appeared. Veronica
had completely crushed the arms, legs, and body of the Yellow Tower Master, so only
the head of the bald troll remained. The head which shone yellow rolled to Theodore’s
feet.

As it rolled, the troll head mumbled, [Huge, recovery function, not working. That’s why,
from the beginning, make it again.]

“Will you stop whining?” Veronica walked behind the head and placed it on her palm.
“The Red Tower will pay for the costs of the repairs, so quickly give it to the kid.”

[Hmm, just a thing, it’s not. This.]

“Explain it to the kid, not me.”

[Cough.] The troll head turned toward Theodore at Veronica’s words.

Suddenly, the face melted down as the eyes, nose, and ears disappeared before
appearing again. It was a magic phenomenon of which Theo couldn’t guess the
principles. The previous cut off voice changed completely as it said, [The reward given
to you is ‘Sensitivity Amplifier – No. 37.’]

“Sensitivity Amplifier…”

[That’s right. You should know how large of an existence sensitivity is to magicians.
No training or items can increase your sensitivity.] However, the voice then declared
triumphantly, [But with this amplifier, you can go beyond your limits!]

Then he poured out a jewel box from his mouth.

“Ah.” Theodore was amazed by the action and took the box.

This caused the Yellow Tower Master to speak in a surprised voice, [Ah right, sorry. I
forgot that my limbs were broken.]

“No, it’s okay,” Theo responded as he naturally placed the box in his left hand. It was
made by magic, so could Gluttony eat this?

The thin tongue crawled through a gap in the box, and the phenomenon he wanted
occurred soon afterwards.

[Sensitivity Amplifier – No. 37 (Remedy)]

[This is an elixir born as a result of combining eastern alchemy, western alchemy and
pharmacology. It has gone through 36 failed attempts, so the number 37 was included
in its name. It was completed with rare ingredients, ancient alchemy, and the
workmanship of a high-level magician. It is a remedy which greatly increases the
sensitivity to mana.

* The rating of this remedy is ‘Treasure.’

* When consumed, sensitivity is dramatically increased.

* When consumed, there is no digestion time.

* When consumed, understanding of alchemy will increase by two steps.

* It is more efficient to consume this through the mouth than by using Gluttony’s
eating function. Once taken, immunity to this remedy will build. It will become invalid
after two doses.]

‘This is real.’

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe the Yellow Tower Master’s explanation, but Theo was
able to truly realize the value after seeing the information window.

In the past, he had a lack of self-confidence due to his poor sensitivity. It was said that
sensitivity couldn’t be increased at all. So, a remedy capable of doing that would be
truly expensive. Not just dunces but ordinary students would be able to make a few
steps of progress. If it could be supplied in large quantities, the national power of
Meltor would increase by several times.

[By the way. From the idea to its completion, the amount of ingredients consumed is
worth 350,000 gold. Yet I can’t even sell the finished product. It is ridiculous.]

“…?!” Theodore stiffened at the words that the Yellow Tower Master grumbled.

64 years of research and ingredients worth 350,000 gold had been placed in his hand.
The light jewel box was now like a heavy gold coin box. Indeed, there was no need to
keep it a secret if they could mass produce it.

Veronica didn’t know his feelings and said, “Now, Kid. Take it right here. It is cleaner
in many ways.”

“Here? Now?”

“Yes.”

“…Ah, I see. It shouldn’t be kept or sold. Right?”

“Truly amazing, Kid.” She laughed and patted Theo on the head.

As she said, the upper echelons gave him this medicine for the purpose of ‘taking,’ so
they wouldn’t tolerate the act of selling or keeping it. This was a national secret, so the
amplifier had to be consumed while the president of the Magic Society and two tower
masters were present.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why the tower masters gathered.

“Besides, isn’t it better to have masters watching you? We can’t help, but we can ensure
your safety. It is why I called you here.”

It was definitely like she said. Veronica was a master magician of the 8th Circle, and
the president had reached the 7th Circle. There were no humans who could touch
Theo with the two of them guarding him.

Theodore was finally convinced and opened the lid of the box.

Huuk!

A sweet and sour scent flowed out. Just smelling the fragrance made him feel like his
lungs had cooled. The smell was coming from a blue bead lying in the center of the
box. Theo picked up the remedy carefully, and…

Gulp.

He swallowed it.

[‘Sensitivity Amplifier – No. 37’ has been consumed. The power is stimulating your
potential.]
[The user’s mana sensitivity will be adjusted to the maximum value.]

[You can experience a temporary sensation of the sensitivity running wild. Maintain a
strong spirit against it.]

The remedy was amazing in many ways. It melted as soon as it reached his tongue,
and the texture was like licking fog. The water vapour flowed down Theodore’s throat.
A refreshing aroma hit his nose, and he could feel it go down his esophagus.

After he finished consuming it, a mysterious expression crossed Theo’s face.

‘I wonder… is this all?’

However, the full-scale reaction happened after this.

“…………………..!?” Theodore fell off the chair and rolled about on the ground.

He didn’t feel the pain from hitting the floor or hear Veronica’s and the president’s
voices calling out to him.

Theo was familiar with pain, but this sensation was something which couldn’t be
described as pain.

It was difficult to explain, but let’s look at a simple example. If a person’s nose suddenly
became as sensitive as a wolf’s, would they be able to smell like a wolf? If a person’s
ears suddenly became as sensitive as a bat’s, could they move freely in the dark? The
answer would be ‘no.’

Sometimes, sensory information going beyond the limits was like violence. Just like
how eyes adjusted to darkness were pained by light, the five senses were based on a
person’s everyday self. Mana sensitivity was the same. They were some who felt a
crisp sensation like they caught it in their hands, while others struggled to pursue a
feeling which was fainter than dust.

The usual Theodore perceived sensitivity as a light water vapour around him, but it
was now a big iceberg. The forcibly extended sensitivity blocked his breathing.

‘I-I can’t breath… this situation…!’ He felt like he was dying under the non-existent
pressure which pushed down on him.

Then at that moment, the hand of salvation grabbed his neck.

“Kid, wake up!”

The fingers wrapped around his neck were hot. Veronica’s heat momentarily allowed
him to regain his senses.

His five senses came back, and he could breathe despite the mana still pressing on his
body. However, he couldn’t escape despite knowing it was an illusion. As Theo
struggled to overcome it somehow, he heard Veronica’s sharp voice.

–Don’t refuse the mana! The mana crushing you has always been around you! You just
didn’t feel it until now. There is no reason to refuse it just because you didn’t know it until
now. Use some magic!

The unconscious acceptance of the advice was probably the result of living for years
as a magician.

“…Light…ning… Bolt.” It was the beginner magic which hadn’t succeeded even once
until Gluttony had awoken the first time. Theo’s disturbed mind pierced through the
faint memory. It was a 2nd Circle magic which could, at best, produce dozens of
lightning arrows.

However, the result was far beyond his expectations.

Pajijijijijik―!

100 or 200… Several hundred streaks of lightning appeared inside the society’s office.
The papers which were grazed by them ended up burning, and soot appeared on the
floor. The havoc proved that his power was several times larger than what it had been
before.

The phenomenon of sensitivity running wild was close to a disaster.

“Good! You’re doing well!”

Nobody present would get hurt by something like this. Veronica had been hit by
several dozen lightning bolts at close range, but there wasn’t a single burn mark. The
basic 4th Circle defense magic around her body bounced it off.

Rather, she placed a hand on Theo’s shoulder and encouraged him to use more magic.
In the end, the statue was the only thing which shattered in the office. Was it because
of that…?

Theo gradually regained his sanity. ‘…Ah.’

The fog-like mana was now like mud, and it weighed down on his skin.

‘So, this is the feeling of mana.’

Unlike before, his breathing wasn’t blocked. Mana didn’t exist, so it wasn’t a real
weight. It was just proof of his increased sensitivity. Theo got up slowly and waved his
hands in the empty space. There was something in the air where there should only be
air resistance.

“…Mana.”

Some said water. Some said earth. Some said fire.

Theo had never felt it until now. He’d thought it was just an exaggeration or the senses
of a genius. For Theodore Miller, mana had always been a mirage mocking him in the
distance or a cloud in the sky he couldn’t reach with his magic.

However, that wasn’t the case from now on. The overwhelming talent which Sylvia had
showed previously… the level of sensitivity which didn’t even require a chant…

Finally, Theo got his hands on what he hadn’t been able to obtain.
“Ah, the kid’s reaction to consuming it is too sudden,” Veronica spoke, sighing with
relief, while Theo was feeling thrilled.

They knew that the increase in sensitivity was accompanied by some side effects, but
Theo’s reaction was much worse than they had anticipated. There was a chance that
he might’ve really suffocated. Even the Yellow Tower Master who created the remedy
hadn’t expected the situation.

He stared at the empty box and muttered seriously, [Strange. For that much reaction,
the sensitivity should be near the bottom… but a person who climbed to the 5th Circle
at age 20 wouldn’t be like that… Is the stability still insufficient? I should review it
once again.]

It was the right answer, but the Yellow Tower Master didn’t realize that it was right.
The young hero of the Meltor Kingdom, who was already mentioned as a candidate for
becoming a master magician, truly had bottom-level sensitivity.

In the end, the Yellow Tower Master would carry out months of research without any
idea of this.

“Kid, have you regained your mind?” Veronica reached through the remaining
lightning around Theo and grabbed his shoulder.

Theodore was startled away from the mana. Despite the fabric, the heat coming from
her was considerable. Like mana, it wasn’t real, but it was intense enough for him to
confuse it as a real tactile sense.

His neck which had been grabbed a while ago was still hot.

“Thank you for your help, Tower Master.”

“It isn’t a big deal.”

A stuffy feeling still remained, but Theo thanked Veronica for her help. Her furnace-
like presence had awoken his senses so that he could endure the crushing mana
pressure. In some sense, Veronica was the most appropriate helper.

As Theo’s complexion returned to its original state, Veronica started speaking, “For
the moment, you should be cautious when using magic. Your sensitivity is now greatly
increased, so the speed and power of your magic power will increase greatly. However,
your ability to control it will be a mess. There may be a catastrophe if you use wide
area magic.”

“…Certainly.”

Theo just needed to look at the Lightning Bolt from before. The power had been
several times larger than the maximum power of his original spell. Even if it didn’t
work on Veronica, the spell’s power was more than that of the 3rd Circle. If it hit
ordinary people, then they would go to the Underworld.

It felt like wings had suddenly appeared on his legs! However, it was impossible for
Theodore, who had just started to fly, to deal with his senses completely. So, he paid
careful attention to Veronica’s next words.

“If your magic so far has been forcing bottled water into a cup, from now on you will
have to control the water level by opening and closing a reservoir. You’ll need a lot of
concentration.”

“I can’t just excel in sensitivity.”

“Of course. Sensitivity or magic power is like a weapon, so it depends on the user’s
skills. A fool who is good at sensitivity only appears a few times in one generation.”

Veronica laughed at those faceless fools. They were lazy people who depended on
their innate talent and didn’t know the rigors of magic. So, they didn’t realize why it
took them years or decades to cross the ‘wall.’

The majority of them became frustrated and stopped in front of the first ‘wall’ they
encountered, while a moderately talented person who worked hard was a greater
magician than some geniuses.

Talent might come from the sky, but the spirit was tempered by hardships.
The five years of being shackled by a total lack of capabilities had refined Theodore
Miller’s spirit into steel. It was the reason why his growth rate was exceptional after
receiving the grimoire. He had worked hard and expanded his capacity beyond his
limits.

“Additionally, if you jump over the wall of the 7th Circle and become a master, you will
reach the limits of sensitivity. So, don’t indulge in your senses and continue doing what
you’ve been doing so far. This concludes Sister Veronica’s advice. How is it, isn’t it
helpful?”

“Yes, very much so.” Theo gazed at her with heartfelt gratitude.

Veronica’s advice was worth a thousand gold. In this age, there were only two people
who had reached the 8th Circle, so one thousand gold for her advice was really cheap.
However, Veronica who gave him such kindness couldn’t look in Theo’s eyes. If it had
been anyone else, they would’ve laughed.

Instead, the mood was ruined by the Yellow Tower Master’s voice coming from the
troll’s head, [Don’t turn your head away, lizard girl. Why are you acting like this toward
a much younger child?]

“Ugh, I will deal with you at a later time.” Veronica fell into anger for a moment.

However, she then shook her head and handed the head over to Theo because she
wanted the Yellow Tower Master to stop joking. Of course, she would beat him up later,
but that unfortunate future was delayed.

The troll’s head looked at Theo and said, [Hrmm… a truly interesting guy. Additionally,
I can smell an enormous elemental from you. I thought the Red Tower Master was
being an alarmist when she said you would be the next great magician.]

“Ah, thank you…?”

[I just judged you objectively. Congratulations for being the first subject… no,
beneficiary of my remedy. I will remember your name.]

Then he said a few words only to Theo, [I won’t see you for a while, but we will meet
again someday. Theodore Miller, when that time comes, I will discuss the secrets
hidden in you.]
“…?!”

[Then, it ends here.]

While Theo was astonished, the troll’s head turned into dust.

Theodore eyed the dust remaining in his hand, but it didn’t change into something
else. In any case, the magic power of the Yellow Tower Master seemed to have reached
a high level, regardless of the number of circles.

‘No, maybe he has stepped beyond the 7th Circle.’

The existence of the Yellow Tower Master was a top secret. In fact, it was enough to
say that he had the abilities of a magician which exceeded the 7th Circle.

Theo had that thought in mind just before he blew away the dust. He wouldn’t be able
to take any countermeasures to anything the Yellow Tower Master did, so it was
ridiculous to strain his mind with anxiety. Indeed, it was a judgment made by an
efficient mind.

So, the voice he heard then was surprising.

–User, be careful of that person called the Yellow Tower Master.

Gluttony woke up from its sleep and cautioned Theo. Before Theo could ask for the
reason, Gluttony continued speaking.

-The remedy that User ingested… the entity that made it is likely the descendant of an
ancient species or the owner of another grimoire.

‘What?’

–The alchemy procedures and techniques used in that remedy were performed more
than 2,000 years ago. Not only obtaining the knowledge but applying it to
pharmacology… I can guess a few grimoires, but I can’t confirm it now.

‘A grimoire’s master.’

Theodore’s face stiffened at the reminder of the past devastation caused by the
‘Death’s Worship’ grimoire. The legion of undead under the elder lich was a terrible
disaster. However, Theo soon regained his composure.

‘The owner of a grimoire… Does that mean the Yellow Tower Master isn’t eroded by
the grimoire?’

–If he actually is a grimoire owner, that is correct. Rather, he is taking full advantage of
its features.

‘Indeed.’

It wasn’t necessary to be afraid of or evade the Yellow Tower Master at this time as it
was unlikely Theo would be attacked like that time with the elder lich. If the Yellow
Tower Master had been such a person in the first place, he wouldn’t have contributed
to the prosperity of Meltor for hundreds of years.

Moreover, there was also no reason for Theo to boast about his secret. Right now, the
information that Theo had was too little.

The magic kingdom, Meltor… There truly were many secrets hidden at its heart. Along
with the secrets of the Yellow Tower Master and the masked White Tower Master,
there were also many mysteries sleeping in the magic towers. Someday Theo might
reach those secrets but not today.

“…I’ll see you again someday,” he repeated the Yellow Tower Master’s words.

There were many things he couldn’t imagine about Meltor, and it was overflowing with
mysteries. He shouldn’t reach out rashly towards them. It was currently time to
confront the challenges and devote himself to training.

‘First, I need to fix this.’ Theo’s eyes shone as he felt the mana pressure again.

The talent he had been longing for was right in front of his eyes.

(Y)

From then on, Theodore’s routine changed a bit. After half a year, he had already
learned the magic of the 5th Circle. There might be a difference in proficiency for each
magic, but he was proud to say that he had learned everything properly.

From then on, Theo had to accumulate experience in practice. He continued his
training, despite his falling efficiency. At the same time, a challenge arrived to knock
him off that plateau.

Kwarurung! The fire, which exploded with a fearsome rumble, knocked roughly
against the barrier of the practice room.

Its power and shape looked like the 5th Circle attack magic, Fire Blast. This was a
powerful ranged spell which would burn dozens of meters around a single point. Only
Superiors of the Red Magic Tower could use it properly.

However, Theo’s face didn’t brighten at the success of the magic.

“…This… Blaze Shell.”

The magic formula and timing of the spell were perfect. However, the result was
different from what he had intended. A 4th Circle magic turned spontaneously into a
5th Circle magic? It was a mistake a rookie just learning magic would make.

Theodore sighed as he looked down at his palms and then the messy practice room.
He didn’t know how many times he had failed already.

‘I know why I failed. The reason is…’

The speed of mana flow had been too fast, and the amount of mana he had drawn had
been too much. Additionally, the power of the mana had become too strong in
response to his emotions. In summary, it was because his sensitivity had increased too
rapidly.

The problem was that it was difficult to correct the errors caused by his own effort.
Theo hadn’t been born with abundant sensitivity, so he couldn’t help finding this
abundance annoying. More mana than necessary responded to his call, then the magic
had become unintentionally tangled up with the mana which hadn’t been called.

‘It is necessary to learn the tricks.’ It didn’t take long for Theodore to realize this.

However, he had limited people to seek advice from. Masters exceeded their
sensitivity, but the tower masters and Magic Society’s president couldn’t become
Theo’s tutors. Veronica gave him a few tips occasionally, but the senses of a quarter
dragon were very different from that of ordinary humans.
In the end, the candidates were narrowed down to one person. It was one of Theo’s
peers and a person who had acquired the highest level of sensitivity since birth, and
then cultivated magic in a blessed environment.

She was a genius who wasn’t as good as Theodore but had built a number of
achievements and was going to be promoted to a Superior next quarter.

“Please take care of me!” She, Sylvia Adruncus, spoke to him shyly.
In retrospect, it was hard to find a more suitable person than her. Sylvia could talk at
the same level as Theodore, and she was a top prospect who received Blundell’s
teachings. Compared to the masters who were difficult to understand, she was a good
match for his level.

“Yes, please take care of me as well.” Theo felt strange as he accepted the greeting.

It had been a long time since he’d met Sylvia, but they had a friendly relationship. No,
he hadn’t seen her often except for the time when they’d traveled together by carriage
to the Miller Barony. After that, they had been more busy than anyone else in the past
six months.

That period of time was long enough for them to notice the changes in each other.

‘Uh, her hair is longer?’

Sylvia was 18 years old. She was still growing and had become more feminine than
she’d been half a year ago, making Theo moderately confused. Her hair, which had
been cut around her neck, now flowed down her back, and the smooth curves of her
body were revealed despite her straight posture. Additionally, her previously round,
childlike eyes had become curved, and her chin line was also more defined.

The difference of six months had also affected Theodore.

‘…Theo, you’ve grown.’ Sylvia look up carefully at Theo, who was a head taller than her.

During the carriage ride, the difference had been just a few fingers. The muscles
revealed under his loose clothing made Theodore seem like a strong young man
instead of a boy.

In fact, Gluttony and Lee Yoonsung should be credited for this growth. Theodore was
a baron’s son who had grown up in the countryside, so his physique was at a mediocre
level. He didn’t have the blood of a warrior, and both parents were only averagely
sized. Theo had grown up in such an environment and yet reached a height of 6 feet.

The reason for this was that after learning ‘Battle Song’ and extracting the essence of
the original, his innate framework had been reconstructed. Lee Yoonsung hadn’t been
able to learn aura, but his physical condition absolutely hadn’t been normal. No
ordinary boy of 15 years would be able to traverse the continent alone. His body had
been extraordinary as it had contained the blood of hundreds of years of martial
artists.

Well, for whatever reason, Sylvia and Theo felt uncomfortable with each other.

“Ah.”

The eyes of the two people finally met, and Sylvia instantly turned bright red. The
action was quickly followed by the movement of her long silver hair.

Her introverted nature was still present. Theo was glad to realize this for some reason.
Perhaps it was because he had only seen Sylvia look like this.

“Then shall we start?” As Sylvia spoke in a small voice, her slender fingers clutched
her staff.

(Y)

Chants were words that a magician cried out more often than the names of family and
friends, and it contained the power to activate magic. A few words would cause a
lightning bolt to pop out or for flames to soar. For those who didn’t know magic, they
were really mysterious words. However, if asked whether there was any special power
in the chant itself, every magician in the world would deny it.

Casting was merely an autosuggestion.

“Fireball,” Sylvia muttered, and a fireball appeared in the air.

It was the 3rd Circle’s most famous attack spell, Fireball. This was a magic to summon
a fireball and explode it toward a target.

She moved the fireball around and continued explaining, “[Basic Magic Theory]
teaches that magic and chants can’t be separated like this. A chant is definitely
amazing. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that a new history of magic appeared once
chants were developed. …Kuk.”

Sylvia grabbed her staff and looked in the air.

Hwaruruk!

In the place where she looked, the same fireball as the one she had just called suddenly
appeared. It was clearly a 3rd Circle Fireball.

“Prior to that, no one used chants. Now, it is common to consider no casting as special.
The appearance of chants greatly expanded the power of a magician, so all magicians
were captivated by the magic chants.”

“Chants… are they a restriction?”

“Yes, Theo should know a bit about chants. Putting a certain amount of magic power
into a magic formula is a type of ‘chant’.”

In other words, it was a type of association work. It was like recalling the texture,
smell, and shape of a tree when thinking the word ‘tree’, just like how ‘rock’ reminded
people of the texture, rigidity, and weight of a rock.

Likewise, Sylvia unconsciously calculated the magic formula, deployment method, and
amount of magic power consumed when thinking of the word ‘Fireball.’ The speed and
completeness were the advantages and disadvantages of a chant.

“In other words, casting is a habit. A habit we created ourselves and nestled it inside
us. It is difficult to rewrite a habit that has been ingrained for a few years up to several
decades. I think it is the reason why Theo’s magic keeps failing.”

“Amazing, I never thought about it that way,” Theodore admired involuntarily.

Sylvia’s advice was an insight difficult for anyone else to have given him. From the
moment of her birth, she had been overflowing with sensitivity. Due to this, she had
to ‘constrain’ it in the normal casting method which everyone else used.

‘She has a point. The feeling and calculation is the same, but the power to control it
has suddenly changed. It may be a conflict between the unconsciously calculated
contents and the consciously calculated contents.’
At the novel advice, Theo felt like a wall inside his head was collapsing.

“Okay! Then I’ll move onto the next topic.” On the other hand, Sylvia was excited about
this situation.

It was her first experience of talking like this with a peer. Only the elders of the magic
towers and her grandfathers could be a match for her. Having met the person she had
long been waiting for, Sylvia poured out the knowledge in her head. Even when Theo
refuted some of her words, it made her happy.

How many hours had they spent sitting on the floor of the practice room? After digging
out everything in each other’s heads, the two people somehow managed to find a
solution.

“…Is it truly no casting?”

“Yep, I think this is the case.”

The conclusion reached by the two geniuses was simple. From now on, Theo was to
use no casting for all magic!

It was possible to fix the habit of ‘casting,’ but it was calculated that it would take Theo
three months to learn up to the 5th Circle again. This was on the premise that he
devoted day and night to training.

However, the situation would change greatly if he got used to not using the casting
method.

‘It might take more than three months, or less than three months.’

The crossroad depended on Theo’s own learning ability, so he didn’t hesitate. He was
confident that he could do it. That was because of the girl in front of him. He would do
this, with the pride of a magician and a man.

Theo got up from his spot and reached out to Sylvia while saying, “I will try it once that
way.”

The path of making a habit out of not casting was a thorny road which no one had
succeeded in except for Sylvia. Maybe the difficulty would be worse than recovering
his chants one by one. However, if Theo was successful, his magic abilities would take
a step closer into the master’s realm. It was a cliff which stretched out before him.

The girl smiled brightly at Theo’s determination. “Yes! Theo can do it!”

At first he led her, and now it was her turn to lead him. Sylvia ignored the pounding of
her heart and grabbed Theo’s hand. As always, she was grateful to him for coming to
where she was.

From that day onwards, the special training of the two people began.

(Y)

It had been a month since then.

After deciding to use every magic with no casting, Theodore literally saw hell. The
training to deal with his expanded senses wasn’t easy.

Using an analogy, it was similar to having three or four arms on his body. Still having
both arms didn’t mean he could skillfully control his new arms. No, instead, it just
confused his pre-existing arms.

‘At first, 3rd Circle magic took a few seconds.’

The no-casting method Sylvia taught Theo was different from what he was used to. It
wasn’t just a quick oral formula. He had to calculate it using his growing sensitivity
while trying to complete the magic faster. It was here that Sylvia’s magic was faster
than Theo’s.

The difficulty of the technique she established was murderous, and Theodore’s head
hurt for the first time while learning. However, the culmination of his efforts didn’t
betray him.

Hwaruruk! A huge fireball appeared above Theodore’s head without any precursors.
It was the 4th Circle Blaze Shell that he had failed a month ago. As soon as Sylvia’s nod
confirmed its completeness, he used the next magic.

His magic power pushed at the surrounding air roughly.

4th Circle ice magic, Frozen Orb…

4th Circle lightning magic, Lightning Spear…

4th Circle wind magic, Gale Force…

Including Blaze Shell, Theo completed four magic spells simultaneously, and they
were in a stable state. This meant that Theo could maintain 4th Circle intermediate
magic without any parameters.

Sylvia nodded and ordered another magic, “Erase everything. Last one.”

The four terrible magic spells faded into the air. It was evidence that he could do both
activation and cancellation well. Perhaps he could use magic under the 4th Circle in
the blink of an eye. However, Theodore’s and Sylvia’s capabilities didn’t end there.

The very next moment, the air distorted strangely.

“Ah.” Theo’s head hurt.

However, Theo didn’t lose his concentration and completed the magic. It was fire
magic which pushed the limits of the 5th Circle. The two people simultaneously looked
up at the ceiling where a red flame was blazing.

“…Minor Force-Inferno, perfect,” Theo placed strength in the declaration.

Swiiik… The 6th Circle flickered, and Theo sighed as he released his concentration.

It was amazing that he had almost completed it in a month, but the improved magic
was a burden. He couldn’t maintain it for even 10 seconds. Still, it was a success, and
both of them clapped with joy.

As Theodore was about to express his gratitude…

[Hoing!] Mitra suddenly popped up under his feet.

“Mitra? What’s going on?”

Perhaps due to Theodore’s higher sensitivity, she could freely appear in the material
world whenever she wanted. Usually she played with Sylvia or with the dirt in a corner
of the practice room, but her current attitude was strange. She tried to tell them
something as she tapped on their shoes.
Theo leaned down to listen and heard the soft voice saying, [Deo! Jun! Jun!]

“Jun?”

He was trying to understand what she was saying when there was a sudden tapping
on the door of the practice room.