Please, Just Read It

Please, read this.

Chapter 35

Their Circumstances (4)

Other candidates do not possess the exceptional “Pathfinding” ability like Riley.

Inside the ruins, where mana disruption is extremely severe, there was only one way for them to locate the Golden Golem.

[Just have to be lucky, I guess.]

Luck.

That’s all there is.

Other factors offered no assistance in finding the Golden Golem’s core.

Of course, for those like Theobalt or Riley, who have excellent mana affinity, it might be different…

Well.

From what I’ve seen, among the candidates at the great war, there weren’t many wizards skilled enough to break through the ruins’ “mana disruption.”

No matter how many times you hit, perhaps around three or four?

Well, around that number.

Anyway.

Returning to the beginning.

To be honest, I was a bit puzzled.

Why did the Five Great Towers decide to judge the candidates through the element of luck?

Up until now, the Five Great Towers have only valued individual skill.

Considering their tendencies, I found it hard to comprehend this secondary selection method.

Luck, really.

To incorporate luck as a factor in a test…

[Did the exam supervisor go mad?]

But ta-da!

An unexpected variable appeared right here.

The core, which had been quiet, suddenly began to radiate an intense aura.

Naturally, all the candidates who sensed the core rushed toward it…

Kwawaaaang──!

As you can see, chaos erupted inside the ruins.

‘Suddenly, what’s the reason the core’s mana has intensified?’

[It’s obvious, isn’t it?]

It must be a device prepared by the Five Great Towers.

‘… A device prepared by the Five Great Towers?’

[Yeah.]

I explained it to Riley, who didn’t understand.

[After twelve hours with no gains, the candidates must have felt an urgency.]

The pressure of achieving nothing halfway through the exam time.

The anxiety of falling behind others.

[But when feelings of impatience and anxiety swell up, and out of nowhere, a strong core’s aura is sensed… what do you think happens?]

“……”

[Of course, everyone would rush over there.]

The Five Great Towers intentionally created a battlefield.

By exploiting the desperate psychology of the candidates.

As people get more impatient, their judgment starts to cloud.

Those candidates who have already endured half a day inside the ruins must have their mental fortitude worn down.

The Five Great Towers cleverly dug into that gap.

And thus, made it so the candidates had no choice but to gather.

‘By the way, Magician.’
[What?]

‘It could be an action done intentionally by someone else, right?’

[……Huh?]

What are you talking about?

‘If it was done on purpose to reduce the number of competitors by artificially amplifying the core’s mana…’

[Hey, make sense for once.]

I interrupted Riley’s words.

[Where in the world would there be a madman like that? Even if they hid the core quietly, they wouldn’t attract other competitors on purpose?]

‘Umm…’

Riley swallowed for a moment and asked again.

‘That seems plausible, right?’

[Yeah.]

I can guarantee there aren’t any such lunatics.

No way.

Even if there were, they probably wouldn’t still be alive.

Surely they died doing something foolish in the ruins.

Like those three idiots that didn’t know any better and charged at the statue giant.

Kwawaaaang──!

[Ugh…]

The noise, piercing like eardrums, echoed through the hallway again.

Upon hearing that sound, Riley paused for a moment and frowned.

‘Wow, this is vicious.’

[Right.]

It sounds like a serious brawl is going on.

If we can hear that sound from this far away, it says enough.

I suddenly thought it was good that we decided not to go there.

[Forget it. Let’s ignore this and quickly find another Golden Golem.]

‘Yes.’

Upon hearing my words, Riley began to move forward.

*

Inside the ruins, a fierce battle was still underway.

Yet, our team was peacefully searching for the Golden Golem.

How much time had passed like this?

Just as we were starting to feel a bit bored from the continued movement, Becky threw out a question.

“Olivia.”

“… Y-yes?”

“Out of all the numerous branches, why did you specifically choose ancient magic?”

Becky continued her questioning.

“Basically, ancient magic is the most obscure among the obscure, right? It’s of little practical help and merely disregarded by other wizards. So why on earth did you choose it?”

“Uh, um…”

It was then that Riley, who had been quietly listening to the conversation from the side, interjected.

“But Becky, you’re also a member of the ‘Dolores School,’ specializing in the illusion branch.”

As Riley said, Becky was also affiliated with a lesser-known branch. However, upon hearing this, Becky merely scoffed.

“What are you talking about? Are the situations for me and her the same?”

“……”

“I’ve majored in illusion magic, but I can handle other basic magics as well. On the other hand, Olivia is just a half-hearted mage who knows only one type of ancient magic.”

Well, she had a point.

Of course, illusion magic belongs to the less mainstream side.

However, Becky’s spectrum was not limited to just “illusion magic.”

Becky learned various forms of “common types” of magic in addition to her primary weapon.

Close combat techniques using hand blades.

And long-range attacks utilizing mana projectiles.

To put it bluntly, she had a lot of tricks, and to put it kindly, she had many other options up her sleeve.

The main purpose of illusion magic is to disrupt the opponent.

But Becky took it a step further, honing the means to ensure that she could finish off the mages she confused.

[In contrast, Olivia…]

Unike Becky, who had widened her spectrum in various ways, Olivia was only engulfed by “ancient magic.”

The consequence was, well…

As you can see, she had ended up as a half-hearted mage who couldn’t even properly develop the basic “mana detection.”

“You must have a reason for being so solely focused on just ancient magic, abandoning all other branches. I just want to hear that reason.”

“Um, well…”

Olivia, trailing off, paused for a moment to consider.

Eventually, she provided her answer.

“Because, ever since I was young, the stories in fairy tales were so wonderful.”

“Fairy tale stories?”

“Yes, yes… The tales of the forgotten ancient great magicians.”

Olivia began to list the names of the forgotten ancient great magicians from the fairy tales.

“Nirab of the Sky, wise Mordin, brave Akayella, Yuratol of Friendship, and so on…”

“…”

“Becky and Riley, you both read stories about these great magicians when you were young, right?”

“Hmm.”

Upon hearing that, Becky nodded.

“Yeah, that’s right. My parents used to always read them to me before bed.”

However, the reaction from Riley beside her was unusual.

She looked like she’d never heard of such fairy tale titles before.

[What? Riley, have you never read those fairy tales?]

‘Nope.’

That’s strange.

There’s no way one wouldn’t know those children’s fairy tales.

In context to Earth, those fairy tales had the impact level of Snow White or Cinderella.

[So what did you read growing up?]

‘Um?’

[There’s no way a child grew up without reading fairy tales.]

‘Oh, well…’

Riley scratched her cheek, trying to recall her memories.

‘The only fairy tales I remember reading when I was young are ones like “The Great Thief Dupang” or “Jack and the Pickpocket.”’

[……?]

The Great Thief Dupang? Jack and the Pickpocket?

[……What are those?]

Throughout my thousands of years of life, I’d never heard of such fairy tales.

Were they new stories born during the 300 years I was stuck in the bookshelf?

‘Of course, it’s no surprise that you’ve never heard of it. Uncle Robert wrote the book for me personally.’

[Who the heck is Uncle Robert?]

‘A fellow member of the Thieves’ Guild.’

[……]

A thief wrote children’s fairy tales.

Just the thought of it is terrifying.

[……Is the content normal?]

‘Yes. It is normal.’

Riley nodded in response.

‘Don’t trust others, live cunningly, don’t care about others’ well-being, just look out for your own benefit, and so on. It’s a book filled with enchanting lessons.’

[Oh, really.]

There was a reason why Riley had grown up to be such a nutcase.

Letting her read such trash as a fairy tale since childhood, it’s no wonder she ended up like this.

‘It’s quite an interesting fairy tale. When I get the chance, I’ll read it to you.’

[Yeah.]

I’m looking forward to what kind of trash it might be.

Anyway.

Having finished chatting with Riley, I turned my attention back to Olivia.

She was continuing her speech, so I listened.

“Um… Becky, since you read fairy tales, you must understand how wonderful the forgotten ancient great magicians are.”

“Sure, they are magnificent.”

Stories from fairy tales.

For example, a magician removed a mountain with magic.

Or perhaps, split a sea in two, and other such legends.

“But that’s just fairy tales.”

“… Yes?”

“Removing a mountain with magic? Splitting a sea? Get a grip. Even if the reincarnated great magician Marta Parherich were to try, it wouldn’t be possible.”

“……”

Upon hearing that, Olivia murmured her response.

“… No way.”

“What?”

“It’s… it’s not just a fairy tale. Those were actual events. Historical records still exist, and scholarly materials have been passed down, so… it’s definitely not just fairy tale stories…”

Upon hearing this, Becky gave a puzzled look and responded.

“Is that so? But why is it that none of the members from your school have demonstrated ancient magic?”

“That’s…”

“If, as you said, historical records exist and scholarly materials have been passed down, then you should be able to demonstrate ancient magic.”

“……”

“Honestly, if you performed even one instance of ancient magic, nobody would be able to disregard you, so why isn’t anyone demonstrating ancient magic?”

“Um, well…”

Olivia’s confidence began to fade.

“If just a little more, maybe just a tiny bit more, I can continue my research…”

“Hey.”

Becky interrupted Olivia’s words.

“I’m genuinely worried about you.”

“……”

“When you’re drunk on the romance of old fairy tales, researching ancient magic? Fine. I won’t stop you. That’s your freedom.”

Becky’s face turned serious.

“But be absolutely certain of this.”

“……”

“You were born with the talent of a magician. You were born with the ‘Blessing of Mana’ that others yearn for so much.”

The Blessing of Mana.

The minimum requirement to become a magician.

“So that value has to be honored.”

“……”

“The path of magic. The path of a magician. Are you really going to waste that by chasing after shadows from fairy tales?”

Chasing after foolish fantasies.

Indulging in magic only found in myths.

Instead of moving toward the path ahead, why wallow through the remnants of the past?

“This fool. Get your act together.”

“……”

“You’re just wasting an opportunity granted by fate.”

For 300 years, those who learned ancient magic have always been labeled fools.

“What practical spells can you actually use apart from reciting knowledge about ancient magic? Do you only have that ridiculous torturous illusory spell?”

“Uh, that’s…”

“You consider yourself a magician even though you can only use one spell? And that spell has a cooldown of over a month? Even a magician you’d find in a marketplace could do at least that much.”

“Um, well…”

“Yeah. If you have anything to say, then say it already. I’ve said all I needed to say.”

Becky crossed her arms, waiting for Olivia’s next word.

After long moments of pausing her mouth, Olivia finally spoke.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“……”

Upon hearing that, Becky shook her head and sighed.

“Ha…”

She too seemed uneasy.

“Olivia.”

“……”

“I just hope you face reality. I was once in a place like you.”

Becky continued.

“I thought that if I just learned illusion magic, I’d get stronger someday. I lived under such thoughts for years, you know…”

She made a blank expression, stopping her words.

“Ha, what am I even saying right now.”

“……”

“Anyway, don’t take it too aggressively. It was all said to think about you.”

Becky’s voice came laden with her sincerity.

“Th-thank you.”

Feeling that, Olivia could only bow her head with no further words to say.

Shuffling─.

Moving resumed. No one opened their mouth.

“……”

“……”

Was the fighting over? The interior of the ruins felt quiet.

Gradually, the explosive sounds that had been coming from a distance stopped.

As we walked for some time, Riley spoke up.

‘By the way, Magician.’
[What?]

‘You must know whether those ancient magics that appear in fairy tales actually existed or not.’

[Yeah. I know.]

Having lived for thousands of years, I’ve experienced the entire history of magic.

Naturally, that time included the era of the ancient empires.

‘So, who’s right?’

Riley asked once again.

‘Are ancient magics just illusions or were they real relics that once existed?’

I answered.

[Olivia is right. Ancient magic actually existed.]

“……”

[That wasn’t just a simple fairy tale. Rather, it was a part of history.]

With one spell, a mountain was removed.

The sea was split in half.

And the enemy’s army was annihilated.

Of course, some parts may have been altered over the long years of oral history, but those fairy tales were indeed absolute facts.

[All those were legends achieved by me and my disciples.]

‘If that indeed happened, then why have people forgotten that fact?’

[The power of time is astonishing.]

I continued speaking.

[As you learned from Lutemis, magic has a deep connection with the flow of history.]

Time flows.

Hundreds of years.

And more hundreds of years.

–Wowwww!

–Long live the Emperor!

–Long live!

The era of war came to an end.

The great war that had plunged the entire continent into chaos had finally ceased.

The empire unified the continent.

Thanks to the formidable great magicians who lent their strength.

The emperor who united the continent named the nation “Ritas Empire” and declared an era of peace throughout the entire continent.

Peace swept across the continent.

No more wars.

[It had barely been a short while since the continent was unified, so the aftermath of the war still lingered. For now, the people’s livelihoods were the most important focus.]

“……”

[The empire sent wizards to research institutions. Since the war was over, war mages were no longer needed. It was better to use that time to research magic engineering for the benefit of the people.]

Magic engineering (魔道工學) that helped improve the lives of the empire’s citizens prospered.

[They had to deal with the dungeons that had appeared and been left unattended throughout the various territories due to the wars. Magic users started researching new spells to efficiently conquer these dungeons.]

For efficiency, Pathfinding, which aids dungeon exploration, developed.

[However, within the dungeons, if they used spells with strong firepower like they did during the war, it would lead to disaster. The ceilings would collapse, and everyone would be buried alive.]

“……”

[Naturally, spells that were powerful but had limited range and high accuracy began to dominate.]

For safety’s sake, the modern magical system that prioritized speed and precision began to flourish.

[But the explosive power of magic users became useless.]

“……”

[As I said, the war is over.]

Didn’t I state it?

From the very name, it was ancient magic.

Magic that was only used in the past.

Hardly used in the present.

Considered traditional in a good light; or old-fashioned in a bad light…

[Since there were no seekers, naturally, the generations died out, magic materials were lost, and those scholars that had barely continued to exist starved to death in search of jobs…].

“……”

[However, the empire stabilized, and a few people late to the party began to take an interest in ancient magic.]

“……”

[But what can they do? The historical gaps have grown far too long.]

Ancient magic did exist.

It was the legend created by me and my disciples.

But as time flowed…

The legend became a myth.

The myths turned into fairy tales.

And the fairy tales became illusions.

And thus, no one remained to remember the legends that were once real.

[Speaking of this feels a bit bittersweet.]

After a moment of silence, Riley asked.

‘So, do you still remember how to use ancient magic?’

[…….]

‘Not those trashy cool-down spells that take a month. I mean the real ancient magics—those that split seas, remove mountains, all those ‘real’ ancient magics.’

[Huh…].

I sighed as I answered.

[….. Yeah. Of course, I remember.]

I smiled ruefully.

[But what’s the use of that?]

“……”

[There’s no longer any chance to use them.]

In this era of peace.

People no longer remember ancient magic.