Daphne and the Adventurers’ Guild moved swiftly to respond to the Abyss Gates that had appeared all across the continent.
The Abyss Gates they had identified were placed under restriction so ordinary citizens could not enter, and even regular guild members who were not Possessors were given sufficient training.
Even so, the world was vast, and there were far too many gates for a single organization to control.
Had they had enough time, they might have been able to cooperate with the imperial court of the empire with which they had recently formed ties and manage them together, but time was not on their side.
What mattered most for now was, as expected, the攻略 of the 51st floor.
Preparations for that, too, were being made as best as possible, but they were certainly slower than before.
Because they had no information.
After all, there had been no contact from those who had gone in as the advance party.
Was it because they could not log out? Or had they been wiped out in an instant before they could even do that? Since no one knew the reason, preparations were taking longer in order to be ready for every possible situation.
It was a phenomenon they had never encountered before. Even the Possessors, treated as heroes in the outside world, could not help but feel intense anxiety.
When had they ever truly had their lives threatened?
The gates in the outside world were easy, and in this world, they had the invincible means of logging out.
And so the rankers had climbed to this point smoothly, without any great danger.
But the Abyss they had to enter now was something in which nothing could be predicted.
What monsters would appear? Would an anomaly occur, as it had on the suddenly changed 50th floor? Would even their final resort, logging out, be impossible?
Anxiety was swelling within them.
But the time limit for the攻略 had been set, and time flowed equally for all.
Now was truly the moment they had to enter.
Fear and unease surged over them, but they still could not run away.
Had they not built up their reputations all this time? Were there not numerous high-ranking Awakened gathered here, including Daphne?
To flee in terror with such people at their side would make them perfect prey for ridicule.
There were no fewer than fifty top-tier Awakened alone.
Every single one of them was a celebrity known to everyone in the outside world.
“Let’s depart.”
And so the extravagantly assembled expedition entered the gate to攻略 the Abyss.
* * *
After the small commotion on the fourth underground floor ended, the place where he was left alone was the mage’s house.
He had spoken at length with Isidore, who had only just returned.
“I was startled when he suddenly knelt down and begged me to save them.”
Even if he had not gone so far as to kneel and bow his head, Hio had intended to grant the request.
It aligned with the reason Hio had come to Arileiya in the first place.
“In any case, the number of spells I need to learn has increased tremendously.”
As Hio muttered while looking around the fourth underground floor, Purnell chimed in.
—For a mage, it is a blessing.
Everything spread out all around them was books.
Starting with books on Dragon Tongue magic, there were texts on dragons, all manner of research materials and traces of attempts to somehow manifest magic.
Surrounded by those things, Hio picked up several books.
〔Preface to Kreutzwald-Style Necromancy〕
He had not properly read this yet.
At a glance, it did not look easy, so he had set it aside to examine properly when he had time.
A grimoire of Kreutzwald placed in the most secret location of the sealed island.
This was probably the key.
“And if these are a problem, they’re definitely a problem too.”
What lay beside the book on necromancy were various papers and grimoires on magical theory.
〔Spatial Studies〕
〔The Definition of Summoning〕
…….
〔Purification〕
“You’re telling me to master this.”
They were none other than the things Isidore had personally handed to him.
—Purification magic and summoning magic. No, should one call it a kind of spatial transference magic?
Magic meant to awaken the sleeping dragon and bring that mighty power down into this world once more.
But the reactions of Hio and Purnell after hearing the plan from Isidore were somewhat strange.
—To think these are needed to awaken a dragon that has slept for a thousand years……
“What do you think? Will this work?”
—To be honest, I am skeptical.
It was baffling.
—Purification is a 4th Circle purification spell. But would the soul of a dragon sealed for a thousand years truly be purified by merely this?
Naturally, he was skeptical.
According to what Isidore had told him, the dragon was sealed in the deepest part of the island.
In the deep seabed, out of reach and out of sight.
The reason it had to be so, he said, was because its soul had been contaminated.
A dragon soul deeply stained by the abyss.
Had it not been sealed, it would surely have become an evil dragon, not a guardian of the world, but a destroyer of the world.
“To think purifying a soul so great it was called a demigod would be done with only a 4th Circle spell.”
From Hio and Purnell’s perspective, it was only natural that it seemed strange.
For elves who could not even create a single Circle, even the 4th Circle might be an absolute unknown, but Hio and Purnell knew better.
A mage merely at the level of an advanced mage could not yet exert such a level of authority.
—Still, the magic that summons the dragon does seem genuine. The sigils related to spatial transference are at least 5th Circle. If you wish to use it right away, you will need the aid of a magic circle.
The place where the dragon was sealed had been made in the form of a kind of subspace, so it was impossible to reach it simply by exploring the sea. It could only be called forth through summoning magic.
In other words, they had no time to grumble that the level of the purification magic was too low.
There was far too much to study.
“I have to reach the 4th Circle anyway, and we found the portal, so I can go back and forth to the Magic Tower while learning it.”
He had spoken of Purification as though it were some basic spell, but that was only because the target was none other than a dragon.
A 4th Circle spell was not something so simple.
Hio himself was still only 3rd Circle for now, so he first had to reach the 4th Circle.
—First, perfect your understanding of the concepts of space and summoning before proceeding. Otherwise, this plan will not even begin.
“…Yeah. Let’s go.”
Gathering the scattered materials and grimoires into one armful, Hio headed for the portal.
First, he would head to Tetradia and reach the 4th Circle.
That was the first step toward awakening the sleeping dragon.
* * *
—The sigils of the 4th Circle, the realm of advanced mages, are generally focused on destruction and expansion.
It was the stage that led beyond a formal mage and toward the upper classes of society.
From advanced mages onward, they were treated as elite combat forces, to the point that they became priority targets of caution even in war.
That was only natural.
If the 3rd Circle was the stage of expanding the types of magic one could use and choosing one’s own path, the 4th Circle was the stage of greatly increasing its power and delving into it more deeply.
—If you do not understand, then memorize it! Are you grumbling over merely this much?
That did not mean the number of sigils he had to inscribe was small, either.
With each Circle gained, magic became vastly more complex, and as the number of sigils increased, the effects they produced when interacting with one another were all different.
It became more sensitive, and accordingly, the range he had to study widened without end.
—Why are you memorizing it so ignorantly? Understand it, understand! If you understand it, will it not be easier to memorize?
“…….”
Purnell, in high spirits, was harrying Hio mercilessly.
When it came to learning magic, there was no helping it.
What could he do? Even such a pathetic ghost was still his teacher.
—Tsk! Tsk, tsk…… Back in my day, I could memorize this level of sigil interaction in a single day. Mages these days have no perseverance……
Since he seemed excited to finally have a chance to shine after being ignored by Hio every day, Hio only had to play along with him for now.
Of course, as Purnell had said, it was not a realm he could reach overnight.
He had enough mana, but to rise to the perfect 4th Circle, he needed clear understanding and practice.
And it was not as though he could focus solely on improving his Circle in Tetradia.
After spending about a day in the Magic Tower, he had to spend the rest of his time diligently moving around.
First, he returned to Arileiya to teach magic.
Before the people of Arileiya, who thirsted for magic, he demonstrated spells and corrected uncertain theories.
“Ooooh! As expected of the mage!”
“So that which was marked as fixed-type sigil number 7 was actually number 17? That’s why it kept getting tangled……”
Of course, even if the theory was corrected, it did not mean they could use magic.
From the start, they had bodies and souls incapable of forming Circles.
Even so, were they not people who had lived their entire lives for magic?
Awakening the dragon was their long-standing destiny, and what was needed for that was magic.
That was why they went wild over Hio’s lectures. Problems that had been blocked for a long time were being cleared away by a single word from Hio.
And they were not the only ones Hio had to teach.
『Uuumm……』
The third underground floor of the mage’s house.
Freyja was sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out, staring intently at a book of Dragon Tongue magic.
In truth, there was almost nothing Hio could do for Freyja.
Dragon Tongue magic was, quite literally, magic used in the language of dragons.
It was magic impossible for humans.
—I do not know the details myself, but dragons use magic in a way different from humans. To them, it is like breathing.
A race born together with magic from birth. Infinite mana contained within their bodies.
Because of such things, Dragon Tongue magic was something they used as naturally as breathing.
『Fire……!』
But how could he say such a thing to Freyja honestly?
A phenomenon in which part of the untainted dragon’s soul broke away.
That was how Freyja had been born, and such phenomena had occurred steadily since a thousand years ago.
It was proof that the dragon was still alive, and it meant that it still possessed its will, separating off its intact soul and sending it up to the island.
In order to recover the lost magic and find a way to heal itself.
In truth, the fragments of soul born not long after the sealing had been far stronger than Freyja.
They had possessed far more knowledge, and it was they who had shown the residents of Arileiya the direction they should take.
But had the world accepted those newly born souls as new souls?
When it came to magic, even they, who contained the soul of a dragon, could not use it.
Because they did not have a dragon’s body, and because they did not have infinite mana, even Dragon Tongue was impossible for them.
Even so, the fragments of soul that were born held a special meaning for the people of Arileiya.
They meant that the dragon truly existed, and they were the driving force that allowed them to carry on their mission without giving up.
But as time passed, the power of the soul only weakened.
The newly born fragments of the dragon grew younger and younger, the power they held weakened more and more, and their knowledge also dwindled.
Then, at some point, they stopped being born altogether—until several years ago.
The one who had appeared again like a miracle was Freyja.
Though she was far too young in appearance, her very birth brought vitality back to Arileiya.
It gave them hope.
All of Arileiya’s hopes and expectations had been placed on Freyja’s small shoulders.
『Ugh… It’s not working……』
The atmosphere around Freyja, left alone underground, was quite different from usual.
The innocent smile she wore when she was with the other elves, and her confident, dignified attitude, were nowhere to be seen. She simply stared at the book with her brow furrowed.
Like that, she repeated her practice again and again, for hours without rest……
『I’m the one who has to do it……』
In the end, she buried her face between her knees and sobbed.
Learning human magic, summoning the main body, and purifying it were also among the things Freyja was supposed to do.
But because she was inadequate, she had ultimately failed to accomplish them, and they had become Hio’s tasks instead.
So she had to accomplish at least this.
She had to at least learn how to use Dragon Tongue magic, so that it might be of some help when she returned to the main body someday.
Because she had not once lived up to the countless heavy expectations placed upon her, she wanted to succeed this time, but things did not go as she wished.
No, there was no way they could.
Was she not, from the very beginning, in a body that could not speak?
Was not the act of uttering it as language the beginning of Dragon Tongue magic?
How was she supposed to wield Dragon Tongue when she could not speak?
They said the previous fragments had all been able to speak perfectly well, so why was she the only one……
『……』
Whenever such thoughts suddenly began to arise, she would remain with her head buried like that for a while.
She would pointlessly move her useless mouth open and shut, secretly sniffling.
After returning from the Magic Tower, Hio quietly watched Freyja for a while, then went over and sat down beside her.
He did not say anything in particular.
He merely closed his eyes and focused.
He set his mana spinning and moved the still-incomplete fourth circle.
Then Freyja, sensing the mana, lifted her head and looked at Hio with wide, round eyes.
What Hio was attempting was the Fourth Circle magic he was currently in the midst of learning: Purification.
The incomplete fourth circle responded to his will and spun fiercely.
Countless sigils, suspended like the belt of a galaxy, reacted to it and shone brightly.
Sigils that responded to one another, some even drawing others in, each exerting a different power.
They gradually clumped together, gathered, and began to move.
Little by little. Slowly, but surely, the magic moved through Hio’s body and took shape.
A bead of sweat rolled down Hio’s brow as he concentrated with all his might.
『…You can do it!』
Before he knew it, Freyja had sent up a soundless cheer in a message.
But… this had been an imperfect spell from the start.
A spell cast without his fourth circle being fully completed, and without his properly understanding it.
There was no way it would succeed.
As if something had gone wrong, the mass of mana that had been gathering and turning into magic began to shake violently.
And the countless shining stars of sigils trembled along with it.
Then, in the end—
『Ah…….』
Fzzzt—
The light went out from every sigil, and the spell that had been taking shape scattered in all directions.
Compared to its brilliant beginning, it was an all too empty end.
At that, Freyja looked at Hio with both eyes filled with worry.
Because she knew that emptiness well.
Because she had experienced the hollow feeling of failure more than anyone, she was worried about him.
But contrary to that worry.
“Tsk… That was close.”
When Hio opened his eyes, his expression was bright.
“Still, if I keep trying, it’ll work someday.”
He looked regretful, yet he was already looking to the next attempt as though it were nothing.
In that series of actions, Freyja realized something.
That even the most dazzling and powerful mage in the world had gone through countless failures behind the scenes.
That in order to form those countless sigils, like stars held within him, he must have endured innumerable challenges and setbacks.
And that, despite it all, he had not given up, and had achieved it in the end.
“Let’s try it together, Freyja.”
And so she wiped away what had been barely clinging to the corners of her eyes and nodded vigorously.
That was the only sort of thing Hio could teach.
To challenge oneself without being crushed by failure.
Because he had been more crushed than anyone. Because he had once laid everything down and lived miserably, he could say it with confidence.
“Because someday, you’ll definitely succeed.”
Freyja, once again filled with motivation, began reading through the book.
Had she not seen the figure of an incredible mage who had succeeded at magic after countless challenges and setbacks?
Had he not declared it himself?
That someday, she would surely succeed.
And so she read on with such intensity that it seemed she might burrow into the book.
She focused with all her might and gave it her very best once more.
That was why Freyja did not see it.
“You’ll be able to do it.”
She did not see that the expression of Hio, who was gently stroking her head beside her, had settled into something cold.
The reason a trace of unease entered the voice he let out was because a certain question had suddenly come to mind.
“…Definitely.”
If the dragon were to awaken, what would become of this child?
[Hidden Trait - Violence Is Not Allowed! (Patience: 20 / 1000)]