Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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After the seminar, Ian started his serious studies.

He was challenging himself to learn [Advanced Magic] in earnest.

"Ian. You'll study fire magic too, right?"

"Of course."

"Then would you like to work on my research together?"

For Ian's academic achievement, Eredith gladly shared her research records.

"Is it really okay to show me this?"

"? What do you mean, Ian?"

Eredith tilted her head, not understanding what Ian meant.

Ian became genuinely worried about his master.

Like, had he ever seen someone this naive!

Haven't you ever watched movies or dramas?! (She hadn't)

If you carelessly share your research, bad scholars will steal it and take all the credit!

Though Ian would never steal Eredith's research, she really did seem to lack caution.

"Um... I mean, aren't you worried someone might plagiarize or misuse your research..."

"That wouldn't be you, of course."

"Obviously not."

Eredith smiled and said:

"No need to worry. The wizard community is small. Everyone mostly knows what research everyone else is doing."

She meant that even if someone stole or plagiarized Eredith's research, it wouldn't be an issue.

Since other wizards already knew it was Eredith's research!

"And hardly any wizards work alone. We need to present our results and sometimes get ideas from other wizards."

Ian finally nodded.

As expected, his reincarnated brain poisoned by modern fiction was the problem.

"Hmm. But you know what? Ian, I'd actually be happy if you copied my research."

"...?"

"It would mean you understood what I was researching. That your achievements were that impressive. It would show you'd studied properly instead of slacking off."

"Master..."

Ian felt slightly moved.

As expected, Eredith's brain was wired differently from normal people.

She was truly a genuine wizard who only knew magic!

Eredith spoke with a bright smile:

"So, Ian."

"Yes! Master!"

"By lunch tomorrow, could you organize today's shared materials and add your thoughts?"

"..."

Wow! Homework!

Ian's eyes welled up slightly with nostalgia.

He remembered the thrilling 18-hour study sessions with Eredith...

This murderous amount of work!

Yes... hehe. This was just like his master!

"I-I'll do my best..."

"Looking forward to it~"

Please don't look forward to it!

I'm just a talking potato! Master!

Though Ian grumbled and complained, his eyes were already reading through the materials Eredith had shared.

Eredith's research records were, naturally, related to fire magic.

'A new magical language related to fire magic...'

The Maronius language was incomplete, making it inconvenient to use.

You had to communicate with mysteries through pure word combinations.

Since it was pure luck whether mysteries would respond to certain words, wizards needed to know as many words as possible.

Later wizards naturally tried to resolve these idiotic (sorry Maronius, but it's a fact) aspects of the Maronius language.

[I've discovered something! Fire prefers friendly terms like 'crackle-crackle~' over formal expressions like 'O flame!']

[Oh? Is that true? Let me try. 'Crackle-crackle~']

[What half-burned log dares address me so casually!!!]

WHOOSH.

[...Huh? Guess not? Strange, it liked it last time...]

Through some trial and error and noble sacrifices by wizards...

Anyway.

Thanks to countless scholars' bleeding efforts, the Maronius language had greatly expanded from its initial form.

And sadly.

No one had managed to create words surpassing the stability of those Maronius devised.

Sometimes addressing the mystery of fire with terms like [crackle~] or [hot cutie~] worked better than standard magical language.

But conversely, there were times when the fire mystery would completely ignore such terms or even get angry.

In the end, after going round and round, calling it [O Flame!] was safest.

But still wizards didn't stop their research.

They kept striving endlessly to find better ways to communicate with mysteries.

That was the proper attitude of scholars pursuing knowledge.

How could they surpass Great Wizard Maronius!

Surpassing Maronius's achievements.

That was the ultimate realm all wizards dreamed of.

'As expected.'

Eredith too was thinking how to create new magical words related to fire magic.

Fire magic was an extremely dangerous and unstable magic.

The mystery of fire often tried to burn even its wizard.

To fire, flames were 'good things', and burning wizards was a 'good state'.

Flames=good thing.

Wizard friend=good thing.

Burning wizard=Super mega good thing!(?)

So fire wizards absolutely had to inform fire that burning them was bad, and ensure all fire mysteries remembered this fact.

Make a mistake?

Congratulations! You're now charcoal!

'Hmm. A massive flame...'

The word Eredith was researching was a new word meaning 'very massive flame'.

'If the research succeeds... it could summon a firestorm.'

Ian became even more interested in Eredith's research.

Though he'd planned to help earnestly since it was his master's research anyway.

This was a freaking firestorm spell!

And what kind of person was Ian!

He was from the Korean people who'd evolved into firepower addicts who couldn't eat without artillery after going through hwach'a[1] and fire arrows.

'Firepower... more firepower...!'

"Related materials should be in the library, so browse them if needed. Here, I'll write down the book titles."

"Thank you, Master."

Ian began jointly researching fire magic with Eredith.

#

'Magic research.'

Ian felt strangely nostalgic.

It felt like just yesterday he was memorizing words under Eredith.

Now he was becoming a wizard who created new words himself.

'Massive fire...'

Increasing flame size was a primal concern for fire wizards.

Usually, fire wizards increased flames through this process:

First. Rely on natural fires.

Call the mystery of fire, then burn everything flammable.

The fire would naturally grow larger.

But that wasn't the method Eredith wanted.

Second was summoning the mystery of fire multiple times.

Call it repeatedly, hoping the flames would randomly grow larger.

'That's not it either.'

And finally, pour in tremendous will to convey the meaning of 'massive'.

This was the realm of talent, requiring many communications with fire to learn flame size control.

'What Master wants is a new word.'

Eredith wanted a single word meaning massive flame.

'I think English had a word like that...'

Conflagration. A word meaning great fire.

'Should I try shouting BUUUUURN!'

Fucking stupid. Ian shook his head.

'How about WAEOLGAEKKKYANG!'

Not even close. To make that a word, you'd have to shout 'WAEOLGAEKKKYANG!' while conveying will to the mystery of fire.

Sure you could make it work after about 30 years of practice.

But how's that different from using magic through pure talent?

Moreover, why shout 'WAEOLGAEKKKYANG!'? Isn't it better to just send strong will saying 'Fire, grow bigger!'?

That's not creating new words, it's substituting words with will.

Why not just use magic with pure will and no words then?

Congratulations! You've discovered primitive-ancient-magic!

'Hmm...'

Ian pondered deeply.

Magic was conversation with mysteries.

For conversation to work, mysteries had to think of similar meanings when hearing the words Ian shouted.

How do you find sounds that mysteries respond to among all the world's sounds?

Huh? Maronius found them, didn't he?

'I'm not Maronius, damn it.'

Ian tapped the blackboard with chalk, then wiped it clean.

Creating new Maronius language was truly insane-level research!

Maronius created something from nothing. That's why he was a Great Wizard.

But the rest of the trash(...) wizards couldn't do such genius things.

So they came up with modifying the language Maronius found.

Almost all new magical words were modified versions of the Maronius language.

'Wouldn't Maronius have made a word for conflagration?'

Ian followed his seniors' footsteps, going with the flow of consciousness.

First, thoroughly search Maronius's records!

...And naturally, Ian's research actions were things other wizards had already done.

Of course they hadn't found a word for conflagration.

Attempts to make similar compound words were ancient history for their seniors.

'Massive + fire... done already. Great + flame... Giant + incineration...'

Whatever you look for, seniors already tried it~

Ian searched through all sorts of fire magic texts, but the answer was always 'seniors already did it'.

Research was naturally a thorny path.

'...Wouldn't it be better to just give up?!'

Ian was horrified realizing the terrible results.

Eredith was truly challenging the great work of creating something from nothing!

'Now that's a scholar...'

Ian smiled slightly and picked up his quill.

No need to think so rigidly.

Ian's research was just beginning, and he was a wizard too.

If Maronius could do it.

Why couldn't Ian?

'...Well, I probably can't.'

But let's try anyway.

Sunlight poured through the wide-open window.

Ian focused intently while scanning books without moving.

The sunlight pouring through the window turned.

To bright yellow sunset.

To crimson dusk.

Then to pale moonlight.

'Huh?'

He'd thought the mystery of darkness kept whispering, but everything was already pitch black.

'Ah.'

Should he go home?

Ian started to get up but closed his eyes at the wave of exhaustion.

He was damn sleepy.

'Let me just rest my eyes.'

Ian could function fine in darkness anyway.

He could either take a nap and study more, or head home.

Ian slowly closed his eyes while slumped over his fire magic book.

#

"...up! ...I said!"

"..."

Ian came to his senses at some loud commotion.

Had he slept until morning?

"...Wake up! I said wake up!"

Shit. I'm awake, mister.

Sorry for sleeping in the library. I'll leave soon.

"Water! I brought water!"

"Well done!"

Just as Ian was about to open his eyes.

Splash!

"...?"

A cold sensation from head to toe.

Ian blinked, soaking wet.

They... threw water on him?!

For sleeping a bit in the library???

'Are they insane?'

Ian was too dumbfounded to even get angry.

Curious what kind of lunatic would throw water in a library, he opened his eyes and looked ahead.

"???"

"Oh! Heavens above, thank goodness! You're not dead yet!"

The brightly smiling old man didn't even register.

'Hot...'

Ian felt dizzy from the heat threatening to melt his whole body.

Fire.

Everything around him... was burning!

'Black wizards? Is the university under attack?!'

The sky was black as night with ash and smoke.

Only the blazing flames and flying soot showed just what kind of hellfire Ian had fallen into.

"If you're awake, get up quick! Stay sitting and you'll burn to death!"

"What... what is..."

Ian stopped mid-mutter.

Something was... wrong with his voice?

"Yeah! Mind-blowing, right! But want to know what's even more mind-blowing?"

The strange old man shouted:

"The crazy bastard who set the city on fire is our Emperor! Bwahahaha!"

Ian almost said 'You can laugh at a time like this?' but paused.

Emperor? Why's the southern Emperor coming up now???

Ian finally looked properly at the old man's face.

Black eyes, black hair. And clothes that looked like just a sack with a belt...

"???"

"You alright?"

The old man scratched his head watching Ian's reaction.

"This is troublesome. One mad Sulla is enough."

'Emperor Sulla...'

Ian knew that name.

The mad Emperor of the Golden Empire, Sulla.

The crazy bastard who set his own city on fire saying he needed artistic inspiration...!

"Emperor Sulla? The mad Emperor of the Golden Empire?"

"Oh. You haven't gone mad yet?"

Emperor Sulla set his city on fire...

That could only mean one thing.

'This is... the Golden Empire?'

Nah~ No way~

Ian pinched his cheek. But nothing changed.

He'd fallen asleep reading fire magic books...

And woke up in the middle of the burning Golden Empire? How could that make sense?

Wow. What a vivid dream!

That's how Ian made sense of it.

For now.

---

[1. raei: artillery. Uh I think I used this guy in civ6. A unique of the Korean civ? lolol]