Chapter 493
In the northern regions of the Kien Empire, there exists a city named after the Emperor.
Nobo-Nikolayevsk.
It is the largest city in the north, built on the frozen eastern road, and serves as the capital and a domain for the nobility.
‘…….’
Amidst the drifting consciousness, the scene of the stronghold came to mind.
My body was in the desert, but my spirit was directed toward Nobo-Nikolayevsk.
A strange sensation flooded in, as if my soul was separating from my body.
A familiar voice echoed in my heart.
‘Child. What is it that you seek, coming all the way to this frigid wasteland, alone?’
—
Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood
—
‘Speed’ is a concept that penetrates modern magic.
Especially it pertains to combat-related magic such as lethality and restraint. In a fight, the one who subdues the opponent first wins. Thus, speed cannot help but be of utmost importance.
Military magic goes without saying. All techniques used in the military are born solely with the purpose of leading to victory in war.
In modern magic warfare, the significance of speed is emphasized more than any other elements, and swiftness is the primary consideration.
—
Why has such an environment taken root?
Scholars have varying interpretations of this.
—
The foremost scholars of the Magic Tower support the theory of ‘pursuit of convenience.’ The theory states that the development of academia and the desires of users led to the simplification of magic.
Highly developed magical studies have resulted in the birth of diverse types of magic.
Ancient mages who practiced magic independently utilized spells confined to a single field, while modern mages who received systematic education and training were able to handle a wide array of magic from different fields.
Ancient mages, who delved into just one well, underwent complex procedures to cast stronger magic. However, for modern mages who delve into multiple realms, that ‘procedure’ became cumbersome beyond just complex.
Thus arose the theory of pursuing convenience.
While ancient mages willingly endured complex procedures to enhance the power of magic, modern mages prefer to skip the hassle even if it diminishes the spell’s potency somewhat.
As developed magical studies birthed various and more potent spells, even intentionally lowering the power means modern magic is far more formidable than ancient magic.
This aligns with the desires of mages striving for convenience and led to simplification.
Swiftly and accurately, unleashing numerous attacks in a short span of time. If one blow cannot subdue the opponent, then two or three blows shall do the trick.
—
Military superpowers focus on ‘speed’ itself. The change in the nature of modern warfare and the development of weaponry have raised awareness of threats among mages, and as they adapted to the ever-changing battlefield, it naturally led to improvements in magic.
Fire support has long been considered the unique realm of artillery. Currently, it is unthinkable to have a war without artillery, as they play a crucial role in various conflicts.
At one time, there were optimistic perspectives that magic could replace artillery.
At the end of the Cult-Magic Tower War, the newly emerged ‘Lethal Magic’ was regarded as a cheap and powerful weapon of mass destruction that reduced war costs.
While countless soldiers are busy moving artillery and calculating coordinates, mages can cast long-range lethal magic and complete troop movements.
It would be no surprise if generals’ jaws dropped and artillery officers’ eyes bulged.
—
Just as developed magical studies birthed powerful spells, advances in science brought changes to weapon systems and the nature of warfare.
The gap between artillery and magic widened, and in firepower engagements, artillery held an absolute advantage over mages. This was true in terms of technology as well.
Armies, helpless against magic shot from distances unreachable by telescopes, belong to the past.
Highly developed surveillance systems can detect not only rapid magical fluctuations but also minute flows of magic.
In modern warfare, the confrontation between artillery and mages unfolded as follows.
—
1. When enemy legion mages prepare for long-range bombardments, the surveillance equipment of our troops deployed on the battlefield activates.
2. Just as naval sonar identifies the type of enemy vessel, the army mage determines the kind and power of magic cast by the enemy. Of course, they locate the enemy mage too.
3. The Fire Direction Center (FDC) relays the specifications. As the turret rotates and adjusts its azimuth, the automatic loader pushes up the powder and shells.
4. With the commander’s order, the self-propelled artillery battalion fires high-explosive shells in unison. The artillery unit that fired the shells quickly begins repositioning.
5. Before long, a hail of shells descends upon the enemy mage, who is nearly done casting their magic.
—
Modern artillery can provide fire support that is vastly quicker, more accurate, and more powerful than mages, leading to the transition of mages’ battlefield from large-scale conflicts to localized skirmishes.
The battlefield where artillery cannot venture is precisely where mages can thrive. This is how mages maintained their effectiveness in localized warfare for decades.
However, a new threat emerged, drastically changing the situation.
—
It began with frequent localized skirmishes between Kien and Abas, centered on the No Man’s Land-border regions.
The frigid relations between the two nations erupted into military confrontations over the natural resources in the No Man’s Land.
Both sides shoved a small force into the No Man’s Land to avoid full-scale war. Among them, mages were deemed core assets.
When combat erupted beyond the range of artillery, mages swooped in from the skies, and the damage inflicted by enemy mages snowballed.
As both armies contemplated this, they deployed new soldiers onto the battlefield.
—
Snipers.
Records from that time remain vivid through manuscripts and reports to this day.
Future military historians would later name it the ‘Battle of Snipers and Mages,’ capturing the intensity and brutality of the clashes.
—
As the Abas army mage took aim with magic towards higher ground, a bullet from a Kien sniper came soaring from the opposing ridge.
When the Kien battalion mined the natural resources of the No Man’s Land, an Abas sniper perched on a tree targeted a mage engrossed in work.
The scout who located the mage sent signals and the sniper eliminated the enemy mage, supporting the advance of the main force.
As snipers controlled mages on the ruins of the city, soldiers dashed down the roads.
The sniper team that had circumvented the line of defense assassinated the commander and the mage.
A shot from an abandoned armored vehicle struck down a marching mage.
—
Snipers on the battlefield were ordered to prioritize killing mages.
Exchanging one bullet for a mage’s life was always a winning trade.
Considering that killing a mage who combines communication magic was more urgent than dealing with a signal operator, sometimes they would even prioritize the mage over an enemy commander.
—
In contrast, mages were frantic to locate snipers.
The dead mage was a dear friend and comrade from the Academy and the university.
In every area suspected of harboring snipers, torrents of fire and ice erupted, and at times spells unleashed violently would sweep across ridges.
—
From this point onward, various types of magic emerged, and the overall casting speed of military magic surged.
In order to execute operations successfully, they had to cast spells faster than the snipers.
Distortion, deception, protection, and anti-tracking spells were developed, making swiftness a core element of modern military magic.
—
Thus, views on the swiftness of magic differed among scholars.
While no one knew the definitive answer, one thing remained clear: diverse factors influenced the development of magic.
However, when the question was posed to the greatest mage who had once held dominion over the world—
The answer delivered was a rather deflating one.
“Survival.”
“Survival?”
“Indeed. Survival.”
—
Duke Alexandra Petrovna of the Northern Regions calmly took her turn to speak.
Seated in a rocking chair flipping through pages, the Duke resembled a professor engrossed in academia.
“The reason swiftness became the foundation of modern magic lies in this.”
“Um, well….”
The disciple couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at that.
Her casual tone made her resemble the professors she had met back at Cambridge. She felt an energy similar to that of the professors of conflict studies from the Duke.
“Mmm….”
Well, it could be. Upon reflection, it wasn’t so strange.
An expert well-versed in academia wouldn’t find any conventional theory intriguing. Plus, the title of Archmage is only bestowed upon those who have mastered magic.
Considering that even the renowned figures of magic history, including former heads of the Magic Tower and elders of the Oracle, had not received the Archmage title, Alexandra Petrovna was virtually a veteran of magical studies. It wouldn’t be surprising for her to provide a deflating answer to her disciple’s question.
Although she didn’t receive the response she was hoping for, she could somewhat comprehend it.
However, since she hadn’t completely resolved her curiosity, Camila still tilted her head in confusion.
Just then, the eyes of the master and disciple met as they turned their gazes toward the liquor bottle on the side table. The master read the question in her disciple’s eyes. The Duke, while about to pour herself a drink, began gently smiling as she closed her book.
“It appears the child’s query remains unanswered.”
“No! That’s not it….”
“It’s alright. Do speak up.”
With the Duke’s kind smile, Camila pondered. How should she explain this?
While she sorted her thoughts, she finally managed to utter, almost in a moan.
“Actually… I went to Mauritania.”
“Indeed. And?”
“I fought against a shaman there….”
“What?”
—
Alexandra Petrovna’s eyes widened like saucers. The shock she felt was evident.
For a Grand Archmage who had experienced life and death, hearing that her precious disciple had fought with a ruffian would have shocked any other archmage as well.
As her master regained composure, she calmed her worried heart. Luckily, she wasn’t injured upon returning.
What on earth could have happened to lead to a confrontation with a ruffian? The Duke inquired curiously, genuinely wanting to know.
“And the shaman from Mauritania. What sort of person was he?”
“He was someone working in the civilian sector, so not a soldier or police… It was a personal dispute….”
“Civilian? How could this be…!”
The Duke jumped up at once.
For reference, she was an adventurer who scoured the lands to treat her senile nephew (Emperor Nikolai VI) and had traveled to the Mauritania continent numerous times. As such, there was no way she wouldn’t know what a ‘civilian shaman’ might be.
Warlords, rebels, terrorist groups, gangs, cartels, etc. It was clear that the places those mages who didn’t qualify for the Ivory Tower went were.
Thus, the Duke had no choice but to sternly scold Camila.
After giving her disciple a thorough scolding—
“Heee….”
Predicting this would happen, she intertwined her words only to find herself in hot water.
Camila, now broken, began to explain. She cast aside the preamble and dove straight into the main point.
Alexandra Petrovna had heard many stories.
Advising not to forget the attack that strayed from the realm of sorcery, the mysterious spells cast by the Shaman, and the bizarre experience of magic swirling around her as if the whole world revolved around her.
The moment when the final strike of her Disciple spread into blue flames, the Master could not help but to truly marvel.
“The child’s growth has far exceeded what I expected.”
The Duke, with a warm gaze, patted his valiant Disciple’s head. Camila, who had been smiling brightly, replied with a cheerful smile before moving on to her conclusion.
“But, I have a question I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead. I hope the child can clear all her curiosities today.”
“When a Shaman uses sorcery… they seem to recite incantations or something like that. But I don’t recite anything when I use my magic. Neither do you, Professor.”
“That is what you were curious about, the purpose of incantations.”
“Yes.”
With a smile that seemed to brighten, the Duke guided Camila to the courtyard of the castle where he practiced magic in his youth.
“You were curious about the purpose of incantations. And why Magicians don’t recite them.”
“Yes.”
“Well, let me explain, dear child. Incantations do exist in magic. To be precise, in ancient magic, incantations are essential.”
As Camila tilted her head in confusion at the vague answer, suddenly—
-Flámmĭdus.
The flame captured her blue eyes. Camila gazed in wonder at the outstretched index finger.
Alexandra Petrovna, with the flames blazing close, blew softly, and the flickering flame vanished without a trace.
“Flámmĭdus. It’s an ancient spell that ignites flames. It is the root of modern elemental magic and spirit magic. It’s also the first thing I was taught by the wandering magician who became my mentor when I was young.”
In an age where the Inquisition ran rampant, magic as a discipline did not exist.
Therefore, ancient magic was not yet classified and often, a single spell became the origin and foundation of various modern spells.
The Archmage snuffed out the ember on her finger and shoved her hands into her pockets.
“As you can see, ancient magic had various incantations corresponding to it. Invocations, commands, incantations, blessings… the ancient Magicians collectively referred to it as ‘Activation Words.’”
“Oh…”
With keen interest in observing magic, Camila asked the Duke, “Is there an activation word in modern magic too? You said there was in ancient magic.”
“No. Activation words have faded away in modern times.”
“Can you guess the reason why?”
The Duke asked, and Camila pondered. While deep in thought, suddenly, like a light bulb flickering on, her blue eyes sparkled wide open.
“…Ah!”
Exclaiming, Camila clapped her hands and shouted.
“Speed!”
“That’s correct.”
The Duke nodded with a satisfied smile.
“Magic in ancient times was much more complex and difficult than it is now. Primitive sorcery required the Shaman to offer offerings directly, and ancient alchemy needed far more materials to yield quality results. In fact, it was the same for all forms of magic, not just sorcery and alchemy.”
She likened the complex and puzzling aspects to impurities.
Magic from antiquity was like raw metal filled with impurities, while modern magic was like steel after all those impurities had been removed.
“Over time, magic shed its impurities and gradually advanced towards swiftness. That is the development of modern magic. Now, let me ask again. What is the source of that swiftness?”
“Survival?”
“Correct. That is it.”
The development of modern magic stemmed from war.
During the Cult-Magic Tower War, Magicians prioritized swiftness in their opposition against the Cult.
Defensive barriers unfolding faster than a Knight’s sword.
Curses shot out before the Inquisition Officer’s divine magic.
Complex alchemical poisons exceeding the healing blessings of Priests, and so on.
All of it was a result of the struggle for survival.
The Archmage active during the Cult-Magic Tower War explained.
“You must kill first to survive. Across all time and space, it’s the unchanging precept of eternal battle. Hence, the activation words have disappeared. Death always comes one step earlier than the completion of an incantation.”
Alexandra Petrovna stared distantly with her hands in her pockets.
As if tracing back to a long-remembered memory, her blue eyes were soaked in echoes beyond her mystical silver hair fluttering like a banner.
“We pursued swiftness to survive. We never considered peace and efficiency. My own survival was paramount, and those who killed first were the ones who lived. In fact, that’s how all wars are… So, has that answered your question?”
At that moment, she posed a new question.
“Is the activation word really useless? Has it merely fallen behind the tides of the times and been forgotten?”
The Archmage, who had once dominated an era, silently nodded. It was a heavy gesture.
“There wouldn’t be any other use for it. Even without the activation words, magic responds to the user’s call. Hence, it is inevitable for it to be forgotten and fade away.”
She made a request.
It was soon after that the Duke’s gaze shifted from the distant mountain.
“Do you wish to learn ancient magic? But why? Isn’t your magic strong enough?”
“What? You think reciting activation words would look cool? Ha! Have you ever seen such a wretched disciple? Instead of thinking about hard work, you’re already chasing after aesthetics. What a troublesome mindset.”
“Don’t cling to me. Is there a disciple in this world who clings to their Master’s trousers like this? Just— let go for a moment and let’s talk!”
“…Enough. The child’s stubbornness is tougher than a troll’s bladder. What sin did I commit in my previous life to take in such a troublesome disciple in my old age… I’d rather die than endure this.”
Finally, overwhelmed by the endless whining of his Disciple, the Master threw up his hands in defeat.
Duke Alexandra Petrovna, shaking off the hem of her pants, sighed heavily with cares etched on her face. It was as though she had aged a decade in a moment.
With her shoulders slumped, she merely looked at the distant mountain before she helplessly closed her eyes and murmured.
“…This will also be an experience. Very well, I shall share it with you, as you wish.”
Her mystical silver hair danced in the northern winds. That hair, which had once set ablaze the Holy Land and plunged the Holy See into terror, fluttered like a flag.
The sound of shoes scraping against the snowy ground. Though she had long discarded the habit of wearing military boots, in the footprints engraved in the snow, the echoes of steel and blood still lingered.
She set her posture.
Once ruling the battlefield alongside numerous comrades and having triumphed in an era, the magician focused her mind.
Magic swirled. As if the whole world revolved around a single human, a tempest shook the castle courtyard.
In the eye of the raging blizzard.
Her slightly vacant eyes glittered with a chilling light.
“Watch closely and learn.”
—
Black smoke billowed from the slums. A massive vortex churned in the ash-gray sky.
A tempest approached. A fierce wind blew, as if it would engulf everything and sweep away the world.
Francesca, holding down her violet-tinted hair, lifted her head. Her eyes, resembling violets, began to read the magic flowing in the atmosphere.
The magic of the area was stained with a scarlet hue. The red, swirling air turned into waves, wildly tossing the skies about.
All centering around a single person.
“…….”
Despite her clothes fluttering as if about to tear, she remained focused. She concentrated and felt the magic.
Inhaling, she drew in the surrounding magic. Exhaling, she released the impurities. Just like planets orbiting around the sun, everything felt as if it revolved around her.
The entire world was responding.
To her will.
To the wind.
To the call.
When her closed eyes opened, in the world washed clean of impurities, only a single enormous tree and a human remained.
Beneath the ash-gray swirling sky.
Her lips began to move.
“A majestic and peaceful ocean. The terror that swallows up shipwrecks and the warmth that embraces all life. A crucible of vitality that stirs the waves.”
Gently opening her eyes and extending her hand.
A line is drawn, and a whirlwind arises.
The fluttering flag, the sleeves that wrapped around her arms softly waved like a flag.
“Dark, silent night sky. A round halo illuminating the snowy forest and a whale gently drifting westward. Stars shining beyond the deep curtain.”
As her words flowed, the magic rejoiced.
Buried within the tide of history and grains of time, forgotten and neglected.
A praise that had become someone’s memory because no one remembered.
In that tender ebb and flow, magic danced and rejoiced.
“When the sails are raised, not even the fiercest gales or incoming tides would frighten us. In the night sky devoid of moonlight, the stars shine unchanged.”
The majestic and peaceful ocean serves as a cradle, embracing the sailor, and the dark and silent night sky guides the lonely light.
And finally.
“When the whale that traveled westward returns.”
The sailor, lying prostrate, falls into deep thought, and the unwavering, lonely light sets off on a journey with its comrades.
“Life shall awaken from the radiant light. Therefore-”
There shall be no sorrow. Even if the glow disappears before our eyes.
Knowing that the whale which traveled westward shall surely return.
“We shall advance with the unending smile of eternity.”
Into the majestic and peaceful ocean, into the dark and silent heavens.
Amidst the slowly dying stars.
Our journey will continue endlessly.
—
…Activation.
“-Pallida Flamma.”
—
A streak of lightning tore through the sky, and the tree burned pale.
In the dark, silent desert.
A fading pale flame slowly engulfed the tree.
It was a majestic and peaceful sight.
