[Spatial Movement - Subspace Transfer]
[Spatial Movement - Portal Creation]
[Spatial Severance - Annihilation]
[Spatial Distortion - Separation]
[Spatial Compression]
[Spatial Expansion]
[Spatial Manipulation - Distance]
[Spatial Manipulation - Route]
[Spatial Manipulation - Size]
[Spatial Manipulation - Rotation]
……
[Spatial Creation]
Unexpectedly, the foundation was “Spatial Creation.”
The beginning of all spatial arts started with spatial creation.
—Of course, I do not mean the sort of spatial creation by which an archmage creates an entire world. This is the foundation of foundations. In truth, rather than creation, one could say it is searching for a subspace and drawing it in.
At Purnel’s explanation, Hio lifted the small pouch at his waist and asked.
“If you mean subspace, is it something like this pouch I have?”
An artifact that was almost like a keepsake he had received from Bereuga.
It was a high-grade subspace pouch that would cost a considerable sum even in the Point Shop, but Purnel shook his head.
—Strictly speaking, that is not a subspace pouch. Therefore, it is not subspace either.
“It wasn’t subspace?”
—It is merely a combination of various spells, such as spatial expansion and weight reduction. It is not a space created using subspace itself.
In other words, it had only expanded an existing space; it had not made use of another space.
To think a subspace pouch was not actually subspace.
This was exaggerated advertising that deceived consumers……
—Stop thinking nonsense and get ready. As you have guessed, spatial arts are not so simple.
“……I know. If subspace creation, which you can barely attempt only after becoming a mage, is just the beginning, that says it all.”
—In particular, you will not yet be able to attempt the spatial manipulation series. You likely will not be able to touch the higher aspects of spatial creation either. Focus on the rest.
Even that “rest” alone was impressive enough.
Spatial compression, expansion, movement, distortion, separation—things that truly meant handling space itself.
“Let’s give it a try.”
Just as Hio was about to burn with motivation—
—By the way…… you.
Purnel suddenly flew right up in front of him.
—Have you forgotten something?
“Forgotten something?”
Hio thought for a moment at Purnel’s words, then soon clapped his hands and looked at him.
He had felt strangely uneasy, and now what he had forgotten immediately came to mind.
“Airaitcheu?”
—Indeed. You said you would teach her magic when you returned…… You truly are inconsiderate.
Teaching Airaitcheu magic.
One more thing had been added to his list.
* * *
Inside a room where a single oil lamp glowed softly.
“Mm-hmm-hmm.”
Airaitcheu was humming as she scribbled something on a sheet of paper.
“My original traits and skills are about this much……”
Had she not declared that she would grow further?
Once she decided to do something, she would accomplish it by any means necessary.
That was Airaitcheu.
“The hard part is deducing my new traits and skills.”
Airaitcheu’s original traits and skills had been passed down intact into her current body.
No matter how much it was Keuroecheubalteu-style necromancy, it was close to impossible for every ability to be transferred perfectly. But Airaitcheu had the possessor’s system.
Thanks to that, all of her existing traits and skills had been able to move over into her current body.
If there was a problem, it was that the abilities in her current body did not appear in the system window.
Therefore, just like the actual residents of this place, she had to figure them out herself, research them, and develop them.
“I feel like I might get an answer if I meet that elf in Arilleiya……”
From what Hio had told her, her body was that of an elf. And not just any elf, but the noblest elf of the previous generation.
She did not know what that meant, but apparently, in Arilleiya, there was the noblest elf of the current era.
If she met him, she felt she might get a rough sense of things.
“It’s too far.”
It was far. Far too far.
Among Airaitcheu’s abilities, there was nothing related to movement, so she would have to run or take a ship to travel, and it was too distant for that.
Well, in the first place, unless she accompanied Hio, the ruler of the western sea would never open a sea route for her anyway.
“So in the end, the most important thing is…… magic.”
The magic she was supposed to learn from Hio.
With that alone, she would be able to travel with him to a place called the Mage Tower and roam all across the continent.
They would not have to stay apart like they did now. From then on, they would truly be together every day.
“Hehehe.”
In Airaitcheu’s mind, a happy future was being painted in bright colors.
A perfect daily life where they roamed the continent, ate delicious food, visited the local famous restaurants, debated whether this was tastier or that was tastier, and when night came, fell asleep together.
She had no need to learn magic in depth, nor did she have any intention of doing so.
Just one ring. She had heard that if she made only the basics, she would be able to enter the Mage Tower together with Hio.
“It sounds fun.”
The process of learning magic would surely be fun as well.
After all, she would be doing it with Hio.
She would ask him about things she did not know, draw close to him, then suddenly suffer severe dizziness from some abnormal magical phenomenon and stagger, only for Hio to catch her and naturally move with her into the room, that kind of……
“Heh!”
Airaitcheu, whose cheeks had flushed red as she held them in her hands, shook her head and eventually put down her pen, resting her chin on the desk.
“When will you come, Hio?”
This time, it was a chance for them to spend quite a long time together.
From the outside, it might look as though they lived in the same house, but in reality, was she not practically living alone?
Hio only lived in the Mage Tower, and all they did was occasionally eat together. So by using learning magic as an opportunity, she might be able to stay by his side continuously until the next strategy attempt.
As Airaitcheu was spreading the wings of her imagination like that—
Thump, thump—
She heard signs of someone from down below.
At this hour, if there were suddenly signs of someone coming from the basement, there was only one possibility.
“Hio!”
Hio had returned.
Airaitcheu sprang up from her seat and left the room.
It was a narrow house, only about two floors aboveground and four floors below.
It did not take long for her to come face-to-face with Hio.
“Oh, Airaitcheu, you weren’t asleep. That’s good.”
“G-good? Then Hio, you too……?”
“Will you take this?”
Airaitcheu, caught off guard, received the item he abruptly handed her before even greeting her.
“This is……?”
What she held in her hands was a book.
More precisely, it was a book titled [You Can Do It Too! The First Step into Magic!]
“The title is a bit weird, but apparently it’s Tetradia’s official basic education magic textbook. So for now, read that and practice step by step.”
“Huh? No, but if you teach me directly……”
“I’d like to, but I have too much to do. Then I’ll get going again!”
As if he were in some great hurry, Hio left only those words behind and immediately turned away.
“No, wait……”
Airaitcheu reached out to grab him, but no suitable words came to mind.
Hio had many things to do, and what she was doing would only interfere with his work.
There were ways for her to stay with him.
If she acted pitiful and lonely right now and clung to him, he would reluctantly remain at the house.
It was obvious he would somehow carve out time for her.
But what meaning would there be in that?
“Hmm? Why? Do you think it won’t go well?”
So Airaitcheu lowered the hand she had stretched out and smiled brightly.
“No. It’s fine. I can do it by myself.”
“Are you really okay? It won’t be as easy as you think.”
“Yeah. If I really don’t understand, I’ll ask you then. Don’t worry about it.”
She did not want to become an obstacle in his path.
She wanted him to achieve what he truly desired and smile happily.
That wish took priority over Airaitcheu’s own happiness.
In short, it was love.
“Got it. Then I’m really going.”
“Yeah. Take care of yourself, and don’t overdo it.”
And so she had no choice but to simply let him go.
In truth, she had so many things she wanted, but he was a person who had many things that had to come before her.
Well, it was an everyday occurrence.
“Once I learn magic, let’s definitely be together.”
For some reason, her heart ached a little today.
* * *
A month passed after clearing the 53rd floor, the Infinite Floor.
There had never been a time when this was not the case, but this month in particular was one where their growth stood out.
Claire in her own way, Airaitcheu in hers.
The Royal Knights, Antipuseu, Sireubereuteu, and Daphne—all of them grew based on what they had seen and felt in the space of the Abyss.
Of course, Hio was no different.
He had witnessed the downfall of a kingdom that no one remembered and that could not be recorded.
He had seen the desperate struggle of the last king.
And what he felt as a result was, as expected, that he had to become stronger.
It had been a month wholly poured into that thought.
Naturally, the results were fairly impressive as well.
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Creation - Generation.’」
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Distortion - Separation.’」
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Severance - Annihilation.’」
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Movement - Transfer.’」
Spatial arts had a system quite different from existing magic.
There was a reason it was called a special school.
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Compression.’」
「You have succeeded in manifesting Spatial Magic - ‘Expansion.’」
In the span of a month, he had succeeded in no fewer than six spatial spells.
Starting with “Creation,” which was called the beginning of spatial arts, then the separation that distorted the created space.
Severance and annihilation, movement and transfer, compression and expansion.
He had literally learned magic that allowed him to freely handle a single space.
As for how he had learned six forms of spatial arts in such a short time, when he had expected them to be difficult—
—Fascinating. Is this not similar to the method of skills?
It was because the system of spatial arts was similar to the evolution method of skills.
In ordinary magic, the 1st Circle is different from the 2nd Circle. As you rise to the 3rd Circle and 4th Circle, even if they are of the same attribute, the magic being cast can be considered an entirely separate spell.
But spatial arts were not like that.
Whether 1st Circle or 2nd Circle, if you succeeded in “Spatial Creation - Generation,” it was the same space and the same magic.
Even if it was spatial creation cast at the 5th Circle, it was the same space.
The only differences were size, range, and the degree of influence one could exert within it.
It was a principle similar to evolving a lower-rank skill into a mid-rank or higher-rank one.
The beginning was not as complicated as he had expected. What was difficult was the process of expanding its influence and increasing its power from there; the beginning itself was fairly easy.
That was why he had been able to learn six forms of spatial arts in a month.
“……Even so, this is too much.”
He had learned six forms of spatial arts, but if he compared them as skills, these were the basics of the basics.
“What am I supposed to use this for……”
Hio sighed as he looked at the subspace he had created as spatial magic.
How should he put it…… It was very small and precious? That kind of subspace.
If he were to make a rough comparison, it was about the size of Hio’s fist…… no, it looked even a little smaller than that.
That space alone was an absolute space ruled by Hio.
He could compress it, expand it, sever it, annihilate it, distort it, separate it, move it, transfer it, and do all sorts of things to it.
Inside that small and adorable space, that was.
This was the secret to how he had been able to learn six forms of spatial arts in just one month.
“No surprise attacks. I can’t cover a place where an object already exists with subspace either…… Just how did those so-called spatial magicians of the past live?”
Create a subspace around an enemy’s head and defeat them…… nonsense like that would vanish the moment one saw the speed at which subspace was generated.
In short, this tiny space was merely for viewing.
Pretty and fascinating trash? Something like that.
—Now, now. Do not speak of what you do not know. Tetradia’s portals, every portal installed across the continent, passed through the hands of spatial magicians. There were none in my time, but spatial magicians who reached archmagehood were so powerful that no countermeasure could be made against them.
Thinking about it, that did seem likely.
What if this tiny space grew large enough to dominate an entire area?
How would anyone face a mage who directly governed that space?
Unless one could cut through space itself, an archmage of spatial arts was practically invincible.
“……That’s a very distant story.”
Of course, before Hio’s eyes, there was only one small, wriggling, cute subspace.
—Still, thanks to this, you have certainly studied well. Think positively.
“That part definitely isn’t bad.”
Studying spatial magic.
That, at least, he had done to a dreadful degree.
Thanks to that, there had been a great harvest.
“The Book of Dragon Summoning I received from the god Ripyue. I’ve gotten a feel for it.”
The Book of Dragon Summoning, an ancient grimoire that did not even exist in the Mage Tower.
He had meant to set aside a day and properly research it, but unexpectedly, while learning spatial arts, he discovered numerous overlapping patterns.
Summoning arts and spatial arts were fairly closely related.
And in truth, the truly important part began now.
—Even if the power of spatial arts is disappointing, that is not greatly important. After all, our goal was not that in the first place.
“That’s true too. The important thing is ultimately the effect. How this comes out is what matters most.”
He had decided to learn spatial arts with the effect of the hidden trait in mind, so in the end, the most important thing was the skill’s effect.
He had learned six forms of spatial arts.
Then now, it was time to check the effects of all the skills.
“Then let’s see……”
He canceled the generated subspace, and what he activated again was a skill.
When he activated the new skill registered in his skill window—
「Skill - ‘Spatial Creation - Generation’ is being activated.」
Not only Hio, but even Purnel’s mouth fell wide open.