NOVEL NEXT Chapter 150
Chapter 150. How To Use It
Declare.
As something to inherit, as a path to be carved anew, swear upon the name of magic.
With a young yet beautiful voice, eyes of emerald shining with determination.
Liliana spoke.
“Creation Magic──[Emerald Tablet]!”
Thus appeared the jade inscribed disk.
Bathed in a fantastical light, Liliana grasped it firmly.
“──Lily-sama.”
Just then, while defending against the oncoming magic, her master’s voice, tinged with surprise, reached her ears.
Understanding his meaning precisely, Liliana continued.
“…I understand, Master.”
Yes, even though she had learned to activate [Emerald Tablet] within just a few days, mastering magic creation or performing modifications like her master did with standard spells was far beyond her.
Even Hermes took five years to reach this level. To hope to catch up in mere days would be foolish; the path of magic is not so forgiving.
──However.
Liliana had her own achievements.
She had pursued the dream of magic, and trained tirelessly. She had yearned and delved deeply into magic.
If so, with that determination and the strength bestowed by her master.
Whether it could be called “magic” or not was uncertain, but she would shape this modest power.
If it would aid her master, she had no doubts.
With that conviction, Liliana focused──and at the same time, she spoke.
◆
“…Master. If my words have been impudent, I apologize. However… may I?”
Liliana, having suddenly activated Creation magic, spoke earnestly.
Hermes, while still parrying attacks, nodded. If she had an idea, he wished to hear it.
Seeing this, Liliana’s face showed relief, and she continued.
“This [Emerald Tablet] you entrusted me with. It’s a remarkable magic. By merely activating it, I can glimpse the forms of various spells.”
“Indeed.”
“From there, analyzing and recreating the composition of magic. That is likely its true function. I can’t do that yet. But──I had a thought.”
“What are you babbling about! Soldiers, eliminate them quickly!!”
The leader, irritated by their conversation and frustrated at failing to break Hermes as expected,
shouted at the soldiers, intensifying the attack.
“Just a useless princess and one magician slowing us down. Hurry up and finish them! And you over there, stop ruining our grand departure with this farce!”
Yet, Hermes remained calm, filtering out the noise and focusing on his magic.
Finally, Liliana completed her preparations. She took a deep breath and faced the advancing magic.
“If I can ‘see’ magic──then perhaps there’s another ‘use’ for it.”
At that instant.
The fire-conjuring spell aimed at Hermes and her was released──
──only to detonate on the spot.
“──!?!”
“Wh-what!?”
“What just──!?”
Of course, the attacking soldiers were caught in it as well.
Though they avoided being incapacitated, they were left vulnerable. The leader barked commands to regroup and shouted furiously.
“What in the world are you doing!? Failing magic──!”
“…No.”
Hermes realized what had happened.
The soldiers had done nothing. It was Liliana’s doing.
Even he, however, found it hard to believe, so he asked.
“Lily-sama, was that──”
“It worked, didn’t it? …I call it [Intercept].”
Sensing his gaze, Liliana explained, a mix of relief and intensity in her voice.
“I cannot use magic. But I can manipulate magical energy, and I can give it a subtle direction. Enough to create sparks, stir a breeze──or interfere with other magic.”
Hermes’ eyes widened, impressed by his pupil’s insight. Liliana continued.
“Yes──I can disrupt it. By aligning my magical energy with an opposing spell, I can throw it off course.
It won’t be effective against hereditary mages. At most, it slightly distorts their aim──but against something like this.”
Unlike Bloodline Magic, convergent spells combine many smaller magics into a single force.
To be effective, each element must be precisely aligned.
──So, if every element is disrupted?
The spells interfere with one another, weakening or even failing to manifest.
The previous explosion illustrated this principle.
Furthermore, the [Emerald Tablet].
This magic aids in analyzing the structure of a spell as a prelude to its recreation.
Hermes used it to ‘enhance his own magic’ to align with his ideals of magic creation.
That single-minded focus drove him.
──But.
Liliana saw more.
In combat, knowing a spell’s structure offers more possibilities.
If she could discern it, she could use that understanding not just for herself──but to ‘disrupt an enemy’s magic.’ She had now proven it.
Yet, such a feat is truly incredible, enabled by her extraordinary skill with magical manipulation.
“…Truthfully,”
She spoke with slight self-deprecation while shielding them.
“This technique was… originally devised to escape my tutors.”
“…Pardon?”
“They had magic, and I didn’t. I envied and resented that. This was my way to counter them.
It’s a shameful trick I never wished to show you. Until now, I kept it hidden, thinking I only needed to follow your words──”
After admitting its bitter origin, she lifted her gaze.
“…But still. If all I do is hide and obey… I will lose everything again. So…”
With resolve, she declared.
“I will not just cling anymore.”
“──”
“…Please, watch me, Master!”
With that, she stepped forward.
She invoked [Intercept] again, this time with heightened precision from the [Emerald Tablet].
She disrupted spells, triggering failures.
“Again──!?”
“What can we do──!?”
The effect was devastating.
Against convergent spells, it was exceptionally effective.
The failure of spells not only hampered their power but also demoralized the enemy. Nobody wished to fall victim to their own magic.
The leader shouted.
He recalibrated his strategy, factoring in Liliana’s threat──
“Enough hesitation!! Even if she’s using strange tricks, there are just two of them! If the princess is interfering, take her out first!”
──And at last, they made a fatal mistake.
They left the one person they absolutely shouldn’t have taken their eyes off,
free for a few seconds.
“Y-you idiots, who said you could ease up on Hermes──!!”
“Managing both is impossible, after all.”
They realized it immediately, but it was too late.
A few seconds were more than enough to chant a single bloodline spell.
And one bloodline spell was all it took to turn this situation around.
“Lily-sama, thank you. And──forgive me.”
“Wha… huh!?”
With heartfelt gratitude, Hermes scooped Liliana up.
At the same time, he declared the trump card spell to reverse the battlefield.
“Spell Reenactment──[Hraesvelgr]!”
With that, they leaped high into the air.
To a height no soldier’s magic could reach.
“!?”
Liliana let out a voiceless gasp of astonishment.
Every soldier’s eyes bulged, and shouts of alarm barely reached from below.
Ignoring the chaos, Hermes spoke again to Liliana, held in his arms.
“Lily-sama, I must thank you once more. Thanks to you, we’ve escaped a difficult predicament.”
“Eh, um, this… this is──!?”
Still appearing bewildered, Liliana’s expression prompted Hermes to smile wryly.
“This too is magic. Actually… if you could do something so impressive, you should’ve shown it earlier.”
“T-that’s because… you never let me, Master! You didn’t use magic during tag, so I never had the chance!”
──That was true.
If Liliana were to use activation disruption, it would have been during their tag games.
But back then, Hermes had matched her without magic.
Afterward, there were mainly theory lessons, so there hadn’t been any opportunity.
Accepting her explanation, Hermes saw Liliana finally regaining composure.
With a moment’s silence, she bowed her head, seemingly savoring his earlier words.
“…Master.”
“Yes?”
“Did I… help you?”
The reply came without a moment’s hesitation.
“Of course.”
“B-but! I worried that a master who cherishes magic might despise such a technique! Plus, it was born from my jealousy… so such a──”
…Indeed, it was a technique born from a different mindset.
It may not even qualify as true magic, and the feelings behind it might not be entirely virtuous.
Nevertheless, this was undoubtedly a new step for his disciple.
As her teacher, joy was the only fitting response.
If anything, it was a fresh perspective to be embraced, not rejected.
He reflected that perhaps he had been too lenient before.
So, he told her:
“──It delighted me.”
“Eh?”
“No matter the origin, it was something you created through your own effort. There’s nothing for me to dislike.”
“!?”
“Besides──you used it to save me just now, didn’t you? Then there’s no issue.”
Hermes smiled at Liliana as she slowly lifted her gaze.
“──I’d love for you to teach me that technique someday.”
“…Ah.”
In that moment, whatever burden she’d been carrying melted away.
Overcome with emotion, Liliana embraced Hermes tightly.
As he stroked her back, Hermes continued.
“Now, Lily-sama, thanks to you, we’ve been given a chance. Let’s finish this. …Would you care to watch me once more?”
“…Mhm?”
With her face buried in his chest, Liliana made a small sound.
“My apprentice’s progress has inspired me greatly. ──Situationally, I’ll unleash my maximum power… Please bear witness.”
Liliana, finally lifting her face again, watched as Hermes turned to the shouting soldiers below.
“‘My eyes overlook all creation, my pupils are fountains, my head is an offering, know my rank as the pinnacle.’”
As he paired his previous spell with new words, Liliana’s eyes widened in astonishment.
To finish things in a single move, Hermes raised his arm and declared:
“Spell Reenactment──[Hlidskjalf]”
Thus, light rained down.
There was no escape, nor the strength to withstand it. The soldiers fell one after another under the radiant barrage, rendered incapable of further combat.
“…Amazing.”
Liliana’s voice was filled with awe.
As the magic ceased, only the silence of victory remained.
“…Wha, what just happened──!?”
…Correction. Only the remarkably tough leader remained conscious, shouting in denial of the scene before him.
“This is impossible! This was supposed to be our day of triumph! I refuse to accept such absurdity!”
“──Refuse all you like. But quiet down; you’re being a nuisance.”
In a flash, Hermes descended, landing a full-force kick to the leader’s temple.
Finally, true silence enveloped the area.
◆
Though the immediate crisis had been resolved,
the situation surrounding the capital was far from over. Rather──
“…Lily-sama, please remain calm.”
Among the resounding noise from all sides of the capital,
Hermes met her eyes, speaking gravely.
“The Trakia house has also faced fierce assaults. Furthermore… the capital’s key institutions are likely under the First Prince’s control. Retaking it will require much more manpower and strength than we currently possess.”
“…Understood.”
Liliana nodded, her composure tinged with determination.
She, too, grasped the gravity of the situation. Even Hermes couldn’t immediately resolve it.
He appreciated her resolve and continued.
“Therefore, we must first escape the capital.”
“…Yes.”
“Then, we’ll devise a plan to reclaim it. For now, we should join forces with Lady Katia and the Trakia household.”
However, before they could proceed,
Hermes’s expression changed as he rose.
“──Before that, there’s one more matter to attend to. Please wait a moment.”
“Wha──”
Liliana turned to question him.
“…Well, this is unexpected.”
A familiar voice emerged from the distance.
“I didn’t think they’d last till I arrived… but it seems their leader was even more useless than I thought, or perhaps…”
The voice drew nearer, and its owner, dark blue eyes glimmering, stopped within sight.
“Given this mess, you had another ace up your sleeve? Just what are you?”
“…Laplace-sama.”
Hermes identified the man whose involvement was evident.
The reason for Laplace’s appearance here was clear without question.
…Fate had reversed their previous positions at the academy.
If he and Liliana wished to escape the capital, they’d need to handle this final obstacle.
Reaffirming his resolve, Hermes braced himself for the challenge.