The Magic Tower, returned to after leaving Verga’s tomb.
Training continued.
Over the course of a month, he had learned a total of five spells.
Without touching any other special magic, he had chosen and learned only the elemental spells Purnel had recommended.
Starting with Blink, there was Fire Pillar, which created a pillar of flame.
Ray of Frost, which emitted a beam of ultra-low-temperature frost.
Wind Blade, which created a blade of wind, and even Explosion, which caused an explosion at a targeted point.
- Do not think elemental spells of the same attribute will be easy. Explosion and Fire Pillar are both classified as fire attribute, but just as they do not share many overlapping patterns, the same goes for spells like Flare or Fire Wall.
Even within the same flame attribute, the method of manifestation changed how it was used.
For instance, in the case of Explosion, its significance lay in its sudden detonation.
An explosion formed rapidly in the indicated direction through compression, ignition, and expansion. Its range was also fairly wide, so unless one had foresight-level prediction, it could not be avoided.
On the other hand, in the case of Fire Pillar, a pillar of flame, its primary patterns were heating and expansion.
A pillar of fire that grew hotter and larger with time would be like a disaster from the enemy’s perspective, one they could only flee from and could not oppose.
Far removed from surprise attacks, Fire Pillar was a dazzling spell that openly overwhelmed enemies on the battlefield.
Thus, even though they were of the same fire attribute, their uses differed, and their practicality differed. The same would be true of other elements, but if there was something that set the flame attribute apart, it was, of course, its power.
There was a reason Purnel had recommended so many flame-related spells in particular.
- Flare is a beam of ultra-high-temperature fire. Do not think it is the same as Ray of Frost simply because they are both beam-type spells. You may consider it more difficult than that. You have to contain an explosion within compression and designate a target, after all. Think of its similarity to the frost beam as being limited to maintenance.
Most flame attribute spells boasted wide areas of effect, but Flare was a single-target spell that compressed the power of fire to an extreme at one point.
- What matters most of all is maintenance. Keep that in mind.
The advantage of Flare was that, as long as the caster’s mana allowed it, they could continue firing that scorching beam.
Of course, even if one had sufficient mana, the concentration required to maintain the spell was a separate matter, but in theory, it was a line of terror that would not cease until the opponent’s breath stopped.
- Try it once.
With Flare’s spellbook open in his left hand, he held his staff in his right and aimed straight ahead.
His eyes scanned the formula in the spellbook, while inwardly he infused mana into the patterns exactly as written.
Mana settled into the five rings. The innermost ring, the ring of the 1st Circle, turned slowly, and above it, the ring of the 2nd Circle rotated a little faster in the opposite direction.
The third ring turned a little faster still in the opposite direction from that, and the fourth ring followed the same rule, until at last, by the time it reached the final fifth ring, it was spinning fiercely.
Once he had moved the circles like that, it was time to touch the patterns.
Hundreds of patterns spread out like stars. The farther outward the ring, the faster its rotation and the greater the number of patterns.
As the circle widened, the number of patterns contained within it also increased.
Therefore, the outer patterns—that is, the patterns of the higher circles—were small and light.
On the other hand, the patterns contained in the inner rings were large and heavy. They were the patterns of the beginning, meant to hold the center and lay the foundation.
Those were the patterns of the 1st and 2nd Circles, and because they existed, the outer rings could rotate quickly and powerfully to exert their force.
The more one learned of it, the more wondrous the principles of magic became.
A 5th Circle spell required the foundational patterns and every pattern of every ring further subdivided from them.
Since it was his first time, Hio’s mana moved carefully and slowly.
Starting from the heavy patterns in the innermost part, he touched them in sequence.
Of the fifty-one flame patterns, mana was bestowed in order upon the seventeen patterns related to ignition and heating, and power was strongly loaded into the three explosion patterns.
Light entered the thirty-three patterns of compression and those that supported it, then passed through the eight patterns for aiming and maintenance, and if even the final pattern for protecting the caster lit up, all that power would begin to gather together under the guidance of mana.
“Mm……”
The staff, holding tremendous power, shook violently.
At that great vibration, Hio’s right arm began to tremble along with it.
He was aiming straight ahead, but like this, there was no way it would accurately hit the target.
Something had gone wrong.
- ……Concentrate to the end.
Failure was already certain.
Even so, he had to keep from losing focus and manifest it to the very end.
Only then would he at least be able to infer where things had gone wrong…… He forced the incomplete lump of power to the tip of the staff.
“Oh no……”
A bright flame of light began to burst forth as if it would explode at any moment.
The temperature rose. Hot air rushed over him.
The staff vibrated madly.
To suppress it, he even threw the spellbook aside and gripped the staff with both hands with all his might.
Then, at last, when everything reached its limit.
Kwaaaang—!
On the 105th floor of the Magic Tower, a powerful explosion erupted along with a brilliant light that covered the entire temporary training ground.
“Gaaah!”
The higher the circle of magic, the greater its power became.
In other words, the risk of failure in magic also grew just as much.
Since the source of it had been the tip of the staff, it was only natural that Hio was sent tumbling backward.
Still, the robe and hat he wore had excellent magic resistance, and thanks to his many previous experiences with failure, he had activated a shield spell in advance, so he was not seriously injured.
Of course, apart from that, his outward appearance had become an utter mess.
The smoke from the explosion quickly cleared thanks to the Magic Tower’s excellent system, revealing Hio’s miserable state.
Hio lay sprawled out on his back, fiddling with his blackened, curled bangs.
“……Life. Nothing comes easy.”
The path of a mage was this arduous.
* * *
“I want to join the Royal Knights.”
Those were the first words of the girl whose heart was filled with flame.
“Hoho.”
At that, Vitalianus burst into laughter.
It was not because the girl’s words were funny.
Nor was it because her absurd goal was laughable.
He was not mocking her serious attitude, either.
Nor was it a hollow laugh that slipped out at an unexpected remark.
And yet, why had he burst into laughter?
The Royal Knights.
A group planned by the late emperor and brought into being by Vitalianus’s actions.
As it was known to the world, the Royal Knights had been beautifully packaged as an order founded personally by the Sword Saint for the late emperor, a knightly order meant solely for the emperor, but the reality was a little different.
There had been political reasons.
It was a means of using the name Vitalianus Mahel to gather powerful knights, and of using the pretense of honor to place the children of high nobles under his command. Political pressure through force of arms.
That was the background behind the founding of the Royal Knights, known as the strongest knightly order on the continent.
However, that meaning had now become hollow.
The strengthening of imperial authority, the keeping of high nobles in check—everything had become meaningless.
For the Empress of Verden, Sylvia Verden, had already taken perfect control of every noble.
She was a person who, through unprecedented ability, would be recorded in history as the most perfect emperor of all.
It was an immense power that could also have made her the most terrifying tyrant in history, but he was not worried.
Vitalianus was a superhuman who had long since surpassed the limits of mankind.
A great knight of the eighth rank who freely handled intent.
It was easy enough for him to grasp the nature of those close to him.
He could sense without difficulty a sincere heart that worried for the future of the empire, and a clear soul without falsehood.
And so, in the empire, whether imperial faction or noble faction, everyone moved toward the same goal with one heart.
With perfect unity, it would advance smoothly, the empire would grow ever stronger, and the future would be brighter than anything.
Of course, the more that happened, the more the Royal Knights would lose the meaning of their existence.
Political pressure and the keeping of high nobles in check?
They had become utterly meaningless.
And so, he had sent back to their families three members of the Royal Knights who were from high noble houses.
It was a judgment he made after experiencing the 52nd floor of the Abyss.
They were fairly strong in their own right, but not enough to survive the battlefields to come.
Out of consideration for their honor, their names would remain listed among the Royal Knights, but in reality, it was the same as if they were no longer there.
Another person left the Royal Knights in order to fill the vacant position of commander of the 2nd Knight Order.
When matters unfolded that way, one other person also wished to transfer along with them, and he permitted it.
Thus, five remained.
A mere five.
Could this truly be called the strongest knightly order on the continent?
When the emperor did not particularly need the Royal Knights’ help, could it truly be called the most honorable knightly order?
Was it truly right to make those with powerful abilities enjoy neither position nor authority simply because they belonged to the Royal Knights?
Would it not be better to abolish the order and allow each of them to display their abilities to the fullest in their own place?
This was the anguish Vitalianus had been carrying until just moments before.
“……I absolutely want to join the Royal Knights.”
That was why he laughed.
“Hoho……”
The girl’s heartfelt words.
Her shoulders, stiff with tension, and her trembling fingertips.
And yet, her voice did not waver in the slightest.
Because they blew away Vitalianus’s anguish.
“Hahaha!”
That was why he laughed.
The answer to his long contemplation had been far too simple.
So what if they were no longer politically necessary? So what if the emperor did not particularly need them?
So what if they were not the strongest, and so what if they were not the most honorable?
There were still many people to protect, and enemies to face clearly existed.
Were there not still many people who looked upon the Royal Knights, found hope, and nurtured the desire to improve?
Then all he had to do was live for that.
He had realized all of that from a single sentence spoken by the girl before his eyes.
Vitalianus stopped laughing and looked at the girl.
Brilliant red hair and jewel-like red eyes.
In his eyes, she was still a young girl.
A pretty summer flower just blooming, one who had likely only just come of age.
A flustered expression, as if she had never expected Vitalianus to burst into laughter, and a body made even stiffer by mounting nervousness.
And yet, amid all that, her gaze was straight.
“Your heart is filled with flame.”
The fire in her heart was the girl’s yearning.
A heart that fiercely desired the goal she wished to achieve.
There was something she absolutely wanted to accomplish by joining the Royal Knights.
There was no need to look at her martial strength.
She was weak.
If he brought in any one of the remaining Royal Knights, she would not last even a few seconds.
But what of it?
Was this not a time that required much change?
He had a powerful intuition.
An intuition that the girl’s flame would change many things.
The Royal Knights, and perhaps even Vitalianus himself.
He did not ask what goal drove her to burn herself so fiercely.
It was fine even if it was not for the glory of the emperor.
He knew, and had experienced, that such yearning was a force greater than one might think, capable of accomplishing many things.
Because it, too, was a great flame he had once possessed.
The girl’s figure greatly resembled his younger self, who had once vowed that he would stand at the very highest place.
Of course, his own flame had gone out at some point, and now only emptiness filled its place.
He knew as well that when blazing summer ended, autumn came, and once even that passed, winter would eventually arrive. But perhaps this girl could be made to walk a different path.
The girl was summer.
She had a goal, things left to achieve, and burned brightly with passion.
“Child.”
He was winter.
A winter where dazzling glory had become the past, and all those who had shared it with him had died.
A winter that could not weep even before the corpse of his most precious friend.
At the end of a life where even the heart had frozen solid, winter.
“Steel your heart.”
Such a summer and such a winter had met.
And so, could they truly bring about spring?
Though his own spring could never return.
Though he would meet his end as a lonely winter.
If that could guide the girl toward spring.
“It will not be easy.”
That would not be such a bad ending.
* * *
“Exchange your greetings. She is a new recruit.”
At Vitalianus’s single sentence, every procedure was omitted.
From that day on, one person was added to the official roster of the Royal Knights.
“I-I look forward to working with you!”
It was a small miracle that came about on an autumn night.