They say extremes meet. I realized that fact while staying in Buyuseong.
Buyuseong, floating in the lofty heavens, and Tantalus, forever falling into the bottomless abyss. The two couldn't be more disparate.
Buyuseong, where even the finest mages of the great Magic Federation gather.
Tantalus, where even the criminals arrested in that shabby Military Nation gather.
The two are literally as different as heaven and earth, but I felt a similar sensation in these two spaces.
That was the sensation of being isolated.
Studying, studying, and more studying. Having become the disciple of the Blue Tower Lord, I was living a life no different from a prisoner. I attended the Blue Tower Lord's classes at fixed times, read books in the library packed tight with tomes for the rest of my studies, and if a spot opened up in the workshop, I slipped in to experiment with magic.
No time to even eat. Scooping food crystals into a bowl and swallowing them down was all I did.
No room to slack off either. The Blue Tower Lord was paying close attention to me, checking my progress every moment and asking if there was a problem if I was even slightly stagnant. I had to struggle just not to fall out of this harness.
"Amazing, isn't it? No wonder Lankart praised him as a genius. Mastering Crystal Structure Theory in just three days, and even applying it to design a High Crystal?"
*Because you're watching me almost like surveillance! You immediately pry and interrogate me if my progress is even a little delayed, so what can I do!*
"Your structural analysis is perfect. To exaggerate a bit, it's on par with mine. There are people who are exceptionally good at analysis, but you've surpassed that level."
*Actually, I didn't analyze it; I just read the Blue Tower Lord's thoughts and recited them as they were. But if that counts as analysis, then I guess it is.*
"Crystal Structure Theory, structural analysis, High Crystal design, magic circle application. It's only been a few days since you learned them, and they're all S-rank. I, the Blue Tower Lord, guarantee it. However..."
*But even I, receiving such praise, had a weakness.*
The Blue Tower Lord spoke, feeling pure curiosity.
"Why does such a genius lack mana perception? Disciple, did you neglect your training?"
"You've been watching me, so you should know! No matter how much I do it, it doesn't improve!"
My ability to perceive and control mana was dismal.
*What's the point of reading knowledge and enlightenment with telepathy? When this guy's hardware can't keep up. I even have to borrow the help of other detection-type magic tools for mana perception, and let alone magic, I barely have enough mana to activate a magic tool.*
*I felt my strength had increased a bit recently, so I wondered, but it doesn't seem like my mana has gotten stronger. Would it hurt if this guy's stats went up a bit overall?*
"I know. I've clearly watched how hard you've worked despite your talent. I'm just puzzled by the imbalance between your knowledge and mana."
"How baffled do you think I am! I know the concepts, I know how to utilize them, and I even have the sense for it, but I still can't do it!"
"Did you perhaps incur the wrath of a black mage? Could you be under a curse?"
"Huh? Am I cursed?"
"I would have at least tried to lift it if that were the case. Unfortunately, judging by the reaction, it doesn't seem to be a curse either."
"Is my talent so dismal that it's comparable to a curse?!"
"Don't despair. Isn't it none other than me who is teaching you?"
The Blue Tower Lord comforted me by patting my shoulder as I despaired.
*'What a truly bizarre case. If it were anyone else, I might have just thought it was a pity and moved on, but a genius like me doesn't overlook this level of imbalance. There's something unnatural about Hughes.'*
*It's not unnaturalness, but I do have a point to pick at. I asked the Blue Tower Lord.*
"Blue Tower Lord. You mentioned the Intelligence Bureau, right?"
"Yeah. Your master also holds the title of Director of the FIA. Did something pique your curiosity? Let me tell you in advance, I can't reveal classified information."
"It's closer to statistics than classified information. What's the ratio of the Chosen among the people of the Magic Federation?"
"That's barely not classified."
YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0WDFmM2pYMG9jSXd2bmN6dVNYTEdNVVNJcjR6djF0NGZWV0g5T0lnaktOUA
*'If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have told them, but I have the right to say it, and my disciple has the right to hear it. Hmm.'*
The Blue Tower Lord visualized a graph with crystals again this time to show me.
"Statistically, the probability of someone born in the Magic Federation becoming a 'Chosen' is about 1%. Compared to other countries, that's several times higher. The ratios of those who have mastered mana control and mana perception are 3% and 5% respectively, but since learning one usually makes it highly likely to naturally grasp the other, they aren't independent."
"Then am I on the 'ordinary' side?"
"Considering all that, you can't do mana control or mana perception. That's the strange part."
*'Of course, since you've caught my eye, I'll uncover even that difficult problem.'*
*He's arrogant, but his direction is positive, so he seems like a decent person. The Blue Tower Lord came to his own conclusion and handed me three blue crystals.*
"There's a possibility it's a problem with your mana capacity, so next time I'll look for a way to supplement that. Here. Today's lesson is over. Read all of this by tomorrow."
"What? You want me to read all of this?"
"Yeah. If it's you, one day should be enough, right?"
"No way. These are Grimoire Crystals. Each crystal contains a whole book's worth of knowledge."
The pinnacle of crystal magic, the Grimoire Crystal. It crystallizes the information contained on a single page of a book and stacks them layer upon layer; when illuminated by the White Tower's light magic, letters float up on a screen.
With this, not only letters and pictures, but even practical magic can be contained within the crystal and reproduced. It was truly nothing short of optimal in the sense of transmitting knowledge.
...However. This isn't very good for me.
Because I gain knowledge by reading people, not books!
"Mana Amplification Theory? Can't you just lecture me, Blue Tower Lord?"
"Mana Amplification Theory is the basics of the basics. It's also a necessary theory to increase your mana. If I were to lecture you on even the basic course, it wouldn't be enough even if we were stuck together all day."
"I wouldn't mind being stuck together all day."
"Cheeky brat. Do you know how precious my time is? You're already almost monopolizing my free time."
The Blue Tower Lord put on a feigned angry expression. But he didn't look that upset. He was the type to enjoy being interrupted. It's not for nothing that his hobby was picking up a talented-looking commoner.
"Obviously, it would be faster if I taught you step by step. But mana amplification isn't that difficult, so study this on your own."
"Sigh. Yes..."
"You reached the 5th floor in just a few days. It's easier to climb the lower floors, but even taking that into account, it's a remarkable achievement. You can be proud. Alright then. You should get going. There are kids waiting for you too."
At the clear dismissal, I left the Blue Tower Lord's room holding the Grimoire Crystals.
I was grateful for the care, but that wasn't the issue. I grimaced as I looked down at the heavy crystals.
Self-study! I can't do self-study!
I'm not stupid. I am the King of Humans, and if there's one characteristic of humans, it's high intelligence and learning ability. Even having lost all my power, 'learning' itself is close to my specialty.
But it's annoying.
Books are made of rigid characters, and to make them my own, I need a process of breaking down and digesting each and every sentence.
In contrast, if I read someone else with telepathy, I can fully accept even the know-how and enlightenment. I am much more efficient when I receive instruction from someone.
The Blue Tower Lord is a universally acknowledged true genius, and if I read a genius, I become a genius too. But if I read a book, I only become an ordinary smart student at best.
Sigh. What should I do about this...? Do I have to rack my brain and study? I don't want to do that.
I was slowly walking down the Crystal Tower with heavy steps.
I heard a buzzing noise. Since it was a tower, the corridor wasn't very wide, but there were unusually many people today.
This was the 4th floor. It was the floor where the mages belonging to the Crystal Tower studied and researched, so there was no need for this many people in the corridor.
As I walked slowly with that thought in mind—
"Hughes, disciple of the 4th floor. I challenge you to a duel!"
A mage wearing blue clothes blocked my path and shouted.
A duel out of nowhere?
With me flustered in front of her, the small-statured mage thrust out her staff and yelled.
"How dare you dabble in black magic and become the Tower Lord's direct disciple, surpassing all of us! A lower-world origin, and at that age, overflowing with talent to the point of receiving lessons from the Tower Lord? I cannot accept this!"
"Huh? Are you saying the Blue Tower Lord's insight is wrong right now?"
"T-That can't be! You must have deceived the Tower Lord with cowardly methods!"
"So you're saying the Blue Tower Lord couldn't even figure out my tricks?"
"N-No! Tower Lord! That's not what I meant!"
It is fun teasing her.
A colleague, unable to watch the flustered mage any longer, came over and whispered to her, and only then did the true mage burn with fighting spirit from behind her glasses.
"Avantgarde, disciple of the Crystal Tower's 5th floor! Let's compete with knowledge!"
"Well, I don't have a reason to refuse, so I'll accept, but..."
Was this the person the Blue Tower Lord mentioned was waiting for me? He must have expected there would be territorialism. Even in the Magic Federation... I loosened my hands and slowly observed my opponent.
A duel? Against a mage of Buyuseong?
If I were in the lower world, I would never do it. I would somehow escape or compromise. If that didn't work, I'd surrender.
But a duel in Buyuseong is a bit different.
It is difficult for mages to physically brawl. They can accumulate power proportional to their preparations, and their offensive power is vastly higher than their defensive power. If they used offensive magic at full power, there's a high probability of a massive catastrophe. It wasn't for nothing that a Demon King intervened when a fight broke out between Tower Lords.
No matter how powerful a mage is, their essence is human. Even the Chosen will die if severely injured. One must at least be a Magic Knight who can freely utilize unique magic devices to be suitable for combat.
"So, what's the problem?"
"Wait! Crystal Set. Do, Re, Mi..."
Therefore, in Buyuseong, when mages wanted to compete for victory or defeat, an agreement was made to fight in a more moderate way instead of causing mutual assured destruction.
A Magic Quiz Battle!
A magic circle embedded with seven gemstones floated in the air. Avantgarde slowly moved her staff, sequentially touching the gemstones according to the musical score. Clear tones spread out, forming a single harmony.
Avantgarde confidently displayed the carefully crafted magic circle and shouted.
"Musical Scale Magic Circle! This is the 'Five-Line Staff', the base magic circle of the Pythagorean school that constructs magic in the form of a 'musical score'! I'll cast a basic crystallization magic with the Five-Line Staff, so find the error in it!"
Every time the music was completed, ice crystallized in the center of the magic circle... but it collapsed just before completion. It was because Avantgarde had intentionally created an error.
And finding that error was Avantgarde's quiz.
*'As far as I know, that insolent guy lacks mana perception! Then there's no way he'd understand this Five-Line Staff, which requires delicate mana perception...!'*
Yeah. Definitely, if it were a problem I encountered in a book, I would have pondered it for a long time.
But.
*'There's no way he'd notice the fact that the clef was changed in the middle of drawing the Five-Line Staff!'*
"You changed the clef in the middle. So the crystal gets distorted, causing it to collapse in the middle."
"Gasp! How did you know that!"
There's no way to get a problem made by a person wrong. Unless the person who made the problem doesn't even know the answer.
As if celebrating the correct answer, the magic circle popped and burst. Avantgarde was covered in the debris of blue mana and collapsed backward. Her face was filled with astonishment.
"The Five-Line Staff has been obsolete for over 30 years due to its difficulty, yet you recognized it...?"
"Not only did you manage mana perception, but you even grasped the flow of the Five-Line Staff?"
"Unbelievable. There's a limit even for geniuses...!"
Ah, easy, so easy. I wish all duels in the world were this peaceful. I wonder if the Holy Court would adopt this?
*'There's no way a commoner from the lower world would have separately studied such a difficult magic circle! How did he know? Did he perhaps see the formation of the ice crystal and deduce it backwards?'*
"The trap is too obvious. It's strange from the moment the ice crystal is formed. It's noticeable that it collapses due to the inconsistency between the first and second halves."
"As expected...!"
"And if you were going to change the clef, you should have also changed the crystal's mana in the middle. The tone and the magic don't match."
Admiration flowed from the surroundings. I could hear people muttering to themselves that the Blue Tower Lord's insight wasn't wrong, and that while I was damnably unlucky, they had no choice but to acknowledge my talent.
I also heard worried mutterings asking if I was the reincarnation of that bastard Lankart. I have no idea what he did.
"...Unbelievable! I agonized for three days and nights just to create one Five-Line Staff problem...!"
Anyway. Her name was Avantgarde, right.
A mage of Buyuseong is a true genius in every sense. A completed genius who appeared after studying in a good environment with ample support, the genius of the Magic Federation.
The knowledge Avantgarde possessed alone would be greater than the knowledge of all the Military Nation's Magic Officers combined. This was a problem with the Military Nation's overly uniform education, but anyway.
Alright. I choose you.
"But it was an impressive magic circle. The Five-Line Staff is intuitive yet difficult, but it seems to have the great advantage of mana amplification through harmony. Right?"
"...Uh, yeah."
"If you're a senior who can handle the Five-Line Staff like that, you must have mastered mana amplification."
"I did get an A+ rating, though..."
She wasn't asked about her rating, so that's a subtle flex. Still, she's the talent I need. I showed the Grimoire Crystals and reached out my hand to Avantgarde.
"Avantgarde-senior. I request your teaching."
"Huh?"
"I want to learn Mana Amplification Theory. It's essential to supplement my mana, and I need your help, Senior."
"Huh? Mana Amplification Theory? That's a basic I learned back on the 2nd floor..."
"That's exactly the basics I want you to help me with. My learning is shallow, so I need someone to fill in those gaps for me."
"W-Why would I..."
*'Teaching a monstrous genius will only make me look pathetic! I hate it! Being ridiculed by a genius...!'*
"Well. I won the duel. And demanding 'knowledge' is the reward for victory, isn't it?"
"Ugh!"
"Enough, just follow me. I have to finish reading this Mana Amplification Theory by today. Please explain it to me from the side until I finish reading it."
Since the duel is like this, what one gains upon victory is also limited to knowledge or magic. Whether you should call it befitting of a mage, or peaceful in a way unbefitting of their madness.
I like it. For now.
I acquired a good Grimoire... no, a good mage. She would read Mana Amplification Theory next to me and tell me what she understood. I dragged Avantgarde along and headed to a nearby research lab.
*'He's already been learning magic for a few days, and he's still studying?'*
*'He's a diligently crazy bastard before a genius. To think he'd dutifully call a person inferior to him 'Senior'.'*
*'Is he really Lankart's friend? He's too different from that guy.'*
Leaving behind the thoughts of the other mages.