1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

34. Magic (1)

If you ask a bird how to fly, it would answer ‘just like that.’

Of course, this assumes the bird can understand and speak human language, but anyway.

It was the same for magicians.

A born genius does it as naturally as breathing, they say, and that’s the origin of magic.

But as the title of ‘genius’ implies a minority, their numbers were as rare as precious gems, and those who envied them were as numerous as grains of sand.

Humans are creatures of curiosity and often of envy.

Unable to just watch, the commoners questioned how the geniuses wielded magic, deconstructed it, and established principles.

After much toil and the passage of time, the commoners’ madness achieved it.

If geniuses spread magic with their senses, they created a blueprint called a formula and inserted numbers for calculation.

If geniuses were born with a sensitivity to mana, they developed unique training methods to acquire it postnatally.

Given the nature of this background, modern magic could be said to be an imitation following the innate geniuses.

Of course, this too is a field heavily reliant on talent…

* * *

I was sitting outside, enjoying a drink and reading.

“Oh, my. Look at that.”

“In broad daylight?”

Passing maids blushed at the sight of the risqué phrases on the cover.

Yet, they didn’t seem too shocked.

It must have been typical of Hershel to do so.

“Back to his old ways…”

“I thought he was acting a bit too normal lately.”

The passing servants generally reacted this way.

Nevertheless, I turned the page with confidence.

After all, what I was actually reading was a magic tome hidden within the pages of an erotic novel.

“…The lines of the spell are broadly divided into parallel and series.”

I didn’t want to boast about understanding just the basic theory, but it wasn’t too difficult to grasp.

If in games, acquiring a skill was as simple as a click of the mouse, here, one had to learn everything from the principles to the process of drawing the spells.

Despite being a completely unfamiliar territory, the fact that I understood it might be proof that my mind hadn’t rusted.

‘I could probably self-study up to the basic theory at this rate.’

It was at that moment, as I turned the page.

A heavy shadow with a presence so tangible it felt weighted, burst in.

“Ah, Father…”

“What are you looking at?”

“…I was reading literature deep with the love of men and women.”

“Good. Better you read such things.”

His hard, muscular fingers picked up the magic tome hidden within the book.

“Quit such useless magic.”

Then, he crumpled the book with both hands and rolled what used to be a book across the table.

Looking at the book, now twisted like a piece of candy, I thought.

If my body were to be crumpled by those hands, how much could it possibly shrink

“I’ll let this one slide as a warning. Don’t let me see you like this again.”

Aeol shot a fierce glance before turning his back.

My heart shrank as I watched him disappear, trembling at the corners of my eyes.

‘Hershel, if you want to live, give up now.’

‘…Do you think I’d succumb to such threats?’

‘Then die.’

‘b*stard.’

Now that I think about it, it’s all because of him.

The thought that I have to risk my life just to learn a spell made me grind my teeth in anger, recalling the cause of all this trouble.

Dacel.

The root of all evil, who even unleashed a monster, causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

On top of that, his running away made Aeol even more irritable.

Because of him, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk about giving up my position as the head of the family.

“Because of that damned guy, I have a long way to go.”

Only about six months left until the academy entrance.

To survive among the playable characters teeming with monsters, I needed to be at least average, so I couldn’t just stand still.

I can’t afford to waste even a little time.

I stood up and looked at the clock.

It was about time for the magician sent by Aria to arrive.

“Maybe it’s time to go.”

I was curious to see what kind of person it would be.

* * *

The place was an ordinary mansion in a residential area.

This secret classroom, rented by Aria, was arranged to avoid Aeol’s watchful eyes.

I met the magician with anticipation, but my enthusiasm quickly faded.

“Charles’s body is in danger of being torn apart by three goblins. Watching this, Erhee says, ‘Oh, Charles weighed 21 kilograms. So, how many grams each should they take to divide it equally?’ Erhee seems troubled.”

Charles and Erhee.

In our country, they would be like Cheolsu and Younghee, often used in textbooks.

But isn’t Charles the one in real trouble?

“So, young master, would you care to solve Erhee’s curiosity?”

I gazed blankly at the man claiming to be a magician.

His name was Carmelo, notable for his glasses and sharp gaze.

According to Aria’s letter, he was briefly described as a skilled magician…

“…”

“Hmm. It seems the problem was too difficult for your educational level, young master. Then, let me explain it to you step by step in an easier way.”

Thinking I was at a loss for words due to not understanding, he began to jot down formulas with the pen in his hand.

“If you divide the number 21 by 3, like this-“

“You.”

“Ah, perhaps that was too fast. Shall I go slower?”

“A con artist, aren’t you?”

At my direct question, Carmelo’s face went blank.

Then, clearing his throat, he spoke with a slight annoyance.

“May I ask why you think so?”

“It’s suspicious, presenting such nonsense as a problem.”

“Hmm, I admit the problem is very easy. Surely, you wouldn’t have thought that the young master had learned basic mathematics.”

His condescending gaze looked down on me.

I’m not sure what he’s heard about me, but he seems to have the prejudice that a rascal is ignorant.

As I pondered how to correct his bad temper, Carmelo narrowed his eyes and turned the atmosphere sharp.

“That doesn’t mean I’m a con artist, though.”

He spoke in a stiff tone, swinging the staff beside him.

Swish!

With the sound of curtains closing, the brightness in the room dropped sharply.

As the wick of the candle on the table ignited, Carmelo adjusted his glasses as if to say, “See?”

“Does this answer your question?”

“…So you are a real magician.”

“Well then, it’s time for you to prove yourself, young master.”

He smirked, rummaging through his briefcase and pulling out a piece of paper.

“This is the basic formula for wind-type magic. To kindle flames and manipulate water, you must control the wind flow. Today, instead of a lesson, we’ll assess the extent of your abilities.”

His voice carried a tone of ‘what could you possibly know.’

It seems my question about him being a con artist struck a nerve, wounding his pride among the eccentric magicians.

But, a formula that manipulates the wind?

It sounds difficult to hear, but judging by the eagerness to strike from the get-go, it seems I’ve really gotten under their skin.

Well, at least I thought I could escape division and grabbed my pen.

“…Right, that might be better.”

Swallowing nervously, I scanned the problem.

Then, my grip loosened, and the pen I held rolled away.

Is this for real?

“Do you need an abacus?”

“……”

I alternated my gaze between Carmelo, who looked at me smugly as if to say, ‘See, you can’t solve it, can you?’ and the problem sheet.

And then,

“I’m done.”

I solved it in less than a minute.

“Indeed, this must be too difficult for you… You solved it?”

Carmelo’s nodding head jerked up, his eyes wide.

I nodded my head instead of speaking.

“Hmm… The solution looks a bit bizarre, but the answer is correct.”

The problem I had just solved was elementary school level, something a sixth-grader could do.

If he wasn’t joking and was serious about flaunting such a trivial problem, he might indeed be a con artist.

No, he did prove it with magic, so he is a magician…

Let’s trust him for now.

“Is this also too low-level for my eyes? Try raising the difficulty.”

“……”

Had my words, spat out in reluctance to waste time, become a provocation?

Carmelo frowned and began to rummage through his bag.

“Well then, try solving this one.”

What followed was a repetition of the same task.

A problem sheet was presented, and I solved it, over and over.

Of course, the difficulty gradually increased, and it took more time to work through the solutions, but it was still within the level of grade progression, so I could continue writing the answers.

However, as the relentless march of problems began to slow, a suddenly much harder problem, seemingly ten levels higher, came crashing in.

“Has the level suddenly risen too much, or is it just me?”

The lines of the spell were not one-dimensional, but layered in a 3D stereoscopic manner.

It was a problem about the wind, but this time, it required a detailed solution that involved not just the volume of the wind but also the angle.

Some even required the application of calculus and vector calculations…

Is this a problem befitting the worldview of this place?

Indeed, it must be a world where magic is the origin.

When I think about it, it makes sense.

If spells demand mathematics, then efficiency is naturally much higher than where I used to live.

That means there must have been far more magicians who delved into research with fiery passion than mathematicians.

Perhaps the level of mathematics here is close to, or even surpasses, the modern era.

If they’re presenting such difficult problems just to gauge the level of a complete novice like me, that says it all.

“Why do you ask? Can’t you solve it?”

Camelo smirked annoyingly.

“You’ve been hoping I wouldn’t be able to solve it, haven’t you?”

“Cough, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Annoyed by Camelo’s shameless response, I gripped my pen again.

“Alright, let’s try solving this one too.”

As soon as I looked at the problem, my head began to ache.

Fortunately, the solution formula provided some hints.

But it was still difficult, and by the time I had solved it, night had already fallen outside.

I briefly greeted Camelo and dragged my exhausted body back to the mansion.

…Magic is not to be taken lightly.

* * *

Originally, a magician of the magic tower would not stoop to teaching the son of a noble family.

It was a matter of elite pride.

Even more so, the insane task of teaching the son of a duke.

Only when one reached a certain level could they even think of escaping, for an ordinary magician would face death the moment they were caught.

And it wasn’t as if safety was guaranteed, so no one in the magic tower had accepted this job.

Even Camelo himself would have refused if he hadn’t been in urgent need of research funds.

“Hmm…”

Carmelo was lost in thought as he organized the answer sheets Hershel had spread out.

‘He survived the breath of a monster, they say. I’m curious, but never mind that. Is he really that famous blockhead playboy?’

He began to doubt the rumors.

Typically, those of this ilk couldn’t even do simple addition or subtraction.

But the calculation theories he solved were of an intermediate level or higher, something taught at the academy.

‘A rich young master, so it’s not strange he had high-level tutors attached to him. Still, it’s annoying.’

Pretending to be a genius, acting as if he knew nothing in front of a new educator, after having received extensive tutoring, all for show.

Walking the path of demonology, one would often see such inflated egos, and Carmelo, believing Hershel belonged to that category, tore the answer sheet with an irritated face.

Then, as his hand reached for the paper filled with incomprehensible symbols that Hershel had solved last, a snort escaped him.

“Hmph, pretentiousness has taken over his brain.”

This was beyond advanced theory.

It was a high-level theory that even the researchers at the Tower of Magic struggled with, which Carmelo had brought for his own amusement.

“Quite the impressive scribble. But dare to mimic, you monkey.”

He had planned to teach casually and kill time here, but the educational workbook had already been solved by that guy.

To think he’d pretend to solve what he’d pulled out because there was nothing left.

Carmelo was about to crumple the answer sheet, having fallen right into the trap he had laid.

But then, suddenly, curiosity got the better of him, and he relaxed his grip.

“Hmm…”

He hadn’t solved it himself yet, so even Carmelo didn’t know the correct answer.

Of course, it couldn’t possibly be the correct answer.

With nothing better to do, he took a pen with the intention of just passing the time and began to solve the problem himself.

It was meant to be a mere pastime, to be discarded later.

“…”

Carmelo’s fingertips trembled as he repeatedly checked the answer sheet held by Hershel.

The answers matched.

The solution to a problem that many in the Tower of Magic couldn’t solve was precisely the same as the playboy’s…

‘It couldn’t be solved just by some tutoring… Could the tutor have been one of the researchers from the Tower?’

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

If the person who taught him math had been a scholar from the Tower, he would have known long ago.

That left only one possibility.

It seems you have a natural talent for this. I thought I’d only be teaching you formulas for a couple of months and that would be the end of it, but it turns out you’re quite enjoyable to teach.”

Carmelo chuckled as he burned the worksheet.