Chapter 43
“Humans are being consumed by the corrupt energy contained in the ancient magic book.”
This was the situation that Gadena had worried about after figuring out the book’s true nature.
<Stop!!!>
But what unfolded right before my eyes was different.
The magic book was pinned down by a human man, howling in agony.
At this point, I was almost at a loss for words.
How could a situation this contradicting from my expectations happen?
The elf took a moment to reflect on the world around her.
Then she barely gathered her thoughts and shouted.
“…I don’t know what’s going on, but for now, stop! I can sense corrupt energy from the magic book!”
According to what Gadena had just discovered, that ancient book of magic was the work of the Kalrazan ‘Ra-Diman’ school of wizards.
They were an extremist magical group that wouldn’t hold back from using any means necessary to achieve their goals. The powers they wielded included black magic and blood magic, mingled with all sorts of dangerous forces.
The power contained in that book was not something a mere rank four sorcerer could handle.
…Though for some reason, it was now approaching the rank five realm, but still.
<Do you think I'll just take this lying down!!!>
Swoosh—
The pages of the magic book flipped quickly.
Like a beast making its last desperate struggle before death, the energy emitted by the book grew more intense.
“Ugh…!”
The elf was relatively sensitive to the nature of spirits and mana.
Gadena was pained by the murky and corrupt nature of that energy.
‘Just feeling it from a distance is this overwhelming…!’
What would happen if I accepted that energy directly?
Even a human, who was somewhat dull to the nature of mana, wouldn’t escape a mana overload.
Gadena felt dizzy and shouted even louder.
“Can’t you hear me!!! The magic book is emitting corrupt energy! For now, stop!”
Maybe she was being hindered from moving due to the influence of the corrupt energy.
Gadena drew out her wooden staff and approached the magic book.
“Wait, Gadena!”
That was when Meltas shouted in urgency.
Even though she was stopped, a relaxed expression appeared on Gadena’s face.
Among the humans that she usually dismissed outright, if she had to acknowledge anyone, it would be humans like Meltas.
A wizard from the Gray Mage Tower who was gazing at the last barrier of rank six.
She thought maybe he could provide insights she’d never even thought of.
“Meltas, tell me your opinion! How do you think we should handle this?”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but for now, let’s observe! I can sense corrupt energy from the magic book!”
“Wait, what did you say about corrupt energy…?”
So we should wait because we sense corrupt energy?
Gadena felt a sense of cognitive dissonance.
An ancient magic book filled with corrupt energy was howling in the grasp of a rank four human wizard.
The master of the Mage Tower she trusted was discussing contact with the dangerously corrupt energy as if it were a windfall.
It felt like the world was turned upside down.
“Meltas! Are you saying you wish to satisfy your intellectual curiosity with that human’s life!? If left as is, he’s likely to become a cripple!”
“What a vicious thing to say! Calm down and take a closer look at what’s happening to them!”
“What nonsense-…!?”
The elf, who rarely displayed emotional reactions, was on the verge of becoming agitated.
His eyes widened.
The magic book was injecting its mana into the human man’s body.
Gadena shuddered.
Could that murky and corrupt energy be used more actively than this?
Most wizards would lose control of their mana the moment they were attacked and become servants of the magic book.
But that human man was different.
Upon injection, the magic book’s mana lost its corrupt nature immediately.
The corrupt energy fled, along with the will of the magic book that was controlling it.
In the end, only pure mana remained.
In other words, it was as if the magic book was transferring its mana entirely to the human.
“What in the world…?”
It was a ridiculous situation, yet there was no room for laughter.
The transformation, or purification, of mana.
That was not something one could simply do ‘just like that’ on the spot.
If the mana belonged to ancient wizards—filled with various mixed properties—then even more so!
Even with proper processes and equipment, it would take at least a few days—
“Ugh…”
Gadena understood belatedly.
Why the human man seemed to be attacked by the magic book, and yet his companions stood silently and watched.
No.
They were probably watching with fascination.
Those who walked the path of magic.
If they were to witness such a rare sight, they would undoubtedly be entranced.
The staff returned to its place.
The elf, like someone entranced, joined the spectators.
<I—I...! The great legacy of Ra-Diman, it’s me!!!>
The magic book ultimately acknowledged its blunder.
Injecting mana to consume this human was not a good choice.
Like a bug withdrawing its stinger from human skin, it attempted to reclaim the pathway planted in Ricir’s hand.
It tried to stop the ‘injection.’
But it was already too late.
Ricir’s energy had already invaded the pathway and reached the essence of the magic book.
The malice honed into mana.
That was the true identity of the book’s ego—
<Ah, aah... Aaaah!!!>
Thus, it was directly influenced by Ricir’s energy.
The magic book lost its power to control itself.
Even so, the ‘injection’ continued.
<Please... Please...>
The voice of the magic book gradually diminished.
Like a fading flame.
…Thus the book injected even the mana that formed its ego into Ricir—
And vanished.
Thunk.
The husk of the magic book fell to the ground with a notably pitiful sound.
“Mana drain…!”
Meltas unconsciously uttered the name of a high-level black magic.
“Are you crazy?”
Ricir, who had only received without understanding, immediately corrected him.
“…So you’re saying that this human, Ricir, possesses a unique color that purifies corrupt energy?”
Most elves are cynical about matters related to humans.
In this situation, the typical elf reaction would be—
‘Does a unique color mean it’s some sort of panacea?’
‘It’s impossible for a mere rank four human wizard to possess such a tremendous ability.’
In reality, Gadena would have said something like that.
But she couldn’t do it this time.
“As you have seen just now, indeed.”
Having watched the entire event happen right beside her.
“This is confusing.”
Though Gadena had lived longer than most humans, she had never encountered a being as anomalous as this Ricir.
She had never even imagined she would meet such an aberrant existence.
Gadena felt as if her values were being completely rejected.
The elf tried to sort her cluttered thoughts and withdrew her focus from Ricir.
Then, she picked up the fallen magic book (that once was).
Swoosh—
Gadena quickly skimmed through the pages.
It took less than ten seconds to grasp the overall content.
The magic book had become a blank notebook with no content whatsoever.
“…”
Gadena crossed her arms and rubbed her temples.
“Hey, Meltas.”
He flinched.
The old man’s body shook at her cold tone.
“Do you remember why I allowed uninvited humans into my laboratory?”
“…Because of the ancient magic book.”
Swoosh—
“The knowledge contained in the ancient magic book was the price you implicitly promised me.”
Swoosh—
“And yet.”
Swoosh—
“All I have left now is.”
Swoosh—
“A worthless old notebook.”
Swoosh—
“And nothing but uninvited humans.”
Swoosh—
“Meltas.”
“Cough, cough. Yes. Gadena. Speak.”
“You are aware of the nature of this laboratory, aren’t you?”
“…It’s your laboratory, and if I remember correctly, it’s supposed to be a space designed to lure certain spirits.”
“But it’s been contaminated by human energy.”
On the surface, they looked like an old man and a young man—
But in fact, Gadena was several decades older than Meltas.
Moreover, Gadena held a high position in elven society.
She was, in a sense, an elven noble.
If Meltas were to visit their land, he would have had to treat Gadena with utmost respect.
All these elements combined—
All human beings present timidly joined their hands and bowed their heads before the elf.
“…”
The elf, who had stared at them for a while, let out a quiet sigh.
“I see. It’s not your fault. It’s entirely my mistake for associating with you humans.”
The elf gestured toward the laboratory door.
Ricir’s party immediately exited the laboratory.
*
“Ah.”
Shortly after leaving the lab.
Ricir realized he had unknowingly increased his mana and casually spoke up.
“Hey, Heinya. What should we do? It seems I’ve accidentally taken away your opportunity.”
“Opportunity? Suddenly?”
“This.”
“Oh.”
Heinya understood as she looked at the former magic book that Ricir was holding and nodded.
She then wore a complicated expression and let out a chuckle.
Marina, who burst out laughing too, said, “Is it really an opportunity?”
“Yeah?”
“Ricir. I think you’re the only one in this world who considers that an opportunity.”
The three also realized that Ricir’s mana had multiplied to the brink of reaching rank five, and they couldn’t help but laugh.
“What is this—”
Heinya murmured as if exasperated.
Now, she was too stunned to express her surprise.
If she could, she would like to proudly declare, ‘Today’s humiliation! I’ll definitely pay it back!’
However—
‘…Will he be at rank five again tomorrow?’
Oh, come on.
Heinya desperately denied that dreadful possibility and shook her head.
“I’ll show you! I will definitely catch up!”
Heinya left the place in a hurry.
“Then, I’ll be leaving too. Ricir, if the opportunity arises, let’s meet again.”
Marina followed her apprentice and then—
“Meltas.”
Left alone with Meltas, Ricir brought up a question he had been holding in.
“That Gadena person just said, right? That the laboratory has been contaminated by human energy.”
“Ah…”
“I ended up causing her trouble without meaning to; is that okay?”
“It’s a fact that spirits prefer elves over humans. But—”
Even so, ‘contaminated’ was too much.
Meltas tried to shake off the sad expression.
“Well— it was my fault regardless. I barged into that person’s lab without a word. I had planned to smooth things over with an interpretation of the book, but since it turned out like this— I’ll apologize later, but you don’t need to worry about it.”
“But this whole situation arose because of me, right? I’d like to apologize separately if I get the chance.”
“…And you were treated as contaminated and such, and yet you’re fine with that?”
“Ah, so it wasn’t actually contaminated?”
“There might be a slight effect, but I can assure you it’s not enough to express it so drastically. Even if it’s just with me, it’s absurd to use such expressions toward you…”
“Thank you for considering me that much.”
“…Cough. It’s only natural since you’re my apprentice.”
“Don’t play tricks on me.”
“Tch. You’re quite hard to please. Anyway, since we’re on the topic, let me ask you something. Who exactly is your master that has you so firm in your principles? Judging by what I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem like they’ve taught you too much.”
“My master?”
Ricir fell into thought.
Could he reveal the existence of that extraordinary master?
‘Well, it should be fine with this person.’
“Do you know a name, Pamon?”
“Pamon? Pamon…”
Meltas’s eyes widened as he mulled over the name.
“…Cough! No! I know nothing about that dark elf!”
“?”
How does he know it’s a dark elf if he claims to know nothing?
Meltas continued without making eye contact with Ricir.
“Ricir— let me give you some advice; it’s probably best you don’t carelessly reveal your master’s name to others!”
“Do you know what kind of person my master is?”
“Well, if that’s the case, I know it now!”
After that, Meltas left hastily, saying he would contact Ricir regarding his responsibilities as a supporter in the Mage Tower and the rewards from the Didoa incident.
*
“Gadena.”
How long had it been since the uninvited guests left before new visitors arrived at the elf’s laboratory?
A woman completely concealed in a black robe and a giant.
They had come without notice, just like the previous visitors.
“You’ve come.”
Yet Gadena welcomed them politely.
She was an elf, one of the main sponsors of Gadena’s research.
Above all, she was someone Gadena couldn’t dare treat carelessly.
“I came to check on the progress of the work.”
Perhaps as a price for supporting the research.
Gadena had been performing a task she had been entrusted with.
It was about finding a specific spirit that had gone missing in Bondales.
No, it would be more accurate to say that it was about luring it in.
The spirit was timid and fearful.
If it realized someone was pursuing it, it would run away to a more concealed place.
That was the reason Gadena had moved and transformed her lab into its current form.
An excessively well-trimmed garden.
A building made of specific wood enhanced with magical processing.
It was safe to say that Gadena’s lab was entirely created in anticipation of the spirit’s visit.
…”
Gadena’s expression darkened.
“Actually, there’s something I need to tell you about that.”
Just moments ago, some humans had barged in and contaminated the energy of the lab.
As a result, it seemed they would need time to check the state of the lab.
As Gadena pondered how to relay the bad news to her employer, the woman spoke up.
“Are you referring to the chair left outside the door?”
“Excuse me? The chair left outside the door— oh.”
Gadena recalled the chair they had moved outside the lab a moment ago.
The human named Ricir had been wrestling with the magic book right next to it.
In other words, that chair was a contaminated object thoroughly imbued with human energy.
Gadena attempted to explain about that chair.
“Whatever the object may be, it’s quite fascinating. The spirits seem to love it very much, you know?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Look here.”
Gadena followed the woman outside the lab.
In the yard, the chair that had been thrown out to avoid contamination was surrounded by spirits.
“…”
Gadena fell into despair upon realizing that the ‘contaminated object’ seemed more favorable to the spirits than the location she had painstakingly cultivated over a long period.
