chapter 9
– My name is Arad Ludwig, a genius wizard who became the youngest Atlas (3 stars) in the empire at the age of 12!
If you want to forget, there are memories from 300 years ago that overlap with a sense of déjà vu somewhere in reality. I think this is a very contradictory explanation. For me it was a while ago.
– weird. Isn’t Rin the youngest in the empire?
When the fire dragon priestess, Friede, tilted her head at the smoking pipe door, I replied with a yawn.
– No, I got it when I was thirteen.
To be precise, at the age of thirteen, I won the ranks of Bandoran (1 star), Limites (2 stars), Atlas (3 stars), and Glados (4 stars) all at once.
– Eh? what, why?
– Because it’s annoying.
It was so annoying to take the rank test, so I was a no-rank wizard until the dean’s lady dragged me by the ear.
– Come on, Rin! I’ll defeat you and prove that it’s me, not you who don’t even know the basics, who fits next to beautiful and noble heroes like Lista-nim and Friede-nim!
Lista, who had been babbling about feeling like a princess caught up in a love affair, wanted to get angry, but Friede grabbed her shoulder and smiled.
– Wait, it’s because I’m young and I don’t know what to do.
Then, he put his hand on my shoulder and lowered his voice so that Arad couldn’t hear it.
– Don’t press roughly with force, think of it as teaching me this and that.
– no. why?
– Because it is an adult who knows how to push someone’s back with that force, not to subdue someone with force.
Friede is usually playful enough that he can’t handle it, but once in a while, there was a time when he smiled more maturely than anyone else.
When I met that smile, I would first avert my gaze without even thinking about how to refute it.
And Friede pushed my back hard towards Arad… … As soon as he recalled the shock, the memories of the past faded before his eyes.
“what… … .”
Like Arad of the distant past, Christa arrogantly narrowed her eyes and placed her left hand on her side.
“Are you going to challenge me? What are you up to?”
“Since I came to take the test, I intend to take the test.”
“What nonsense… … Don’t you know this is an additional test site?”
“You came right. Because I was late on time. They say you have to take an extra test.”
Christa’s mind went blank for a moment at the prompt reply.
This guy, Sega’s orthodox successor, takes an extra test? Just because you were late on time? Don’t you know anything shameful?
In the midst of Christa’s confusion, Professor Caroline stepped forward.
“Gongja? I’m sorry, but do you know what kind of wizard Christa is?”
“yes. Just what are you good at?”
“It’s not quite like that. He is an excellent wizard who graduated from <Delaiten> secondary education institution at the top of his class, and has already become a member of <Delaiten> through the recommended admission that only one person is selected every year.”
Hmm, self-proclaimed geniuses are always supported by many people around them.
I remembered how even the squire of Arad Ludwig talked about how great his master was for about five minutes. I don’t want to be like that this time.
He yawned grimly and replied.
“I want to see more of the city, but can’t we start quickly with that introduction? It will be over soon anyway.”
it’s over soon?
Caroline laughed blankly, hahahaha, while Krista blushed and grabbed Lane by the collar.
“Are you done soon? me? under! ok, go for it I’ll crush you like clay!”
Ugh… … .
Caroline smiled bitterly.
‘This child’s fighting spirit always turns on at strange moments… … .’
And at the moment when the desire to win was turned on, my mouth would become dry. Caroline checked the officer’s papers. It was a list of additional test takers.
‘Oh, there’s no name on the list of additional test takers?’
no, there was
After looking through the documents for a long time, at the very end, Lane Ludwig’s name appeared. Attention was drawn to that history.
‘There is no magic elementary or secondary school that I graduated from. No competition results. Rank Acquisition No results… … .’
Up to this point, he was suitable for the nickname of a genius Confucius that was widely spread throughout the world.
It was a high-level pun on the lower ones making fun of Sega’s son.
If so, there was something strange about his history.
[<Ribarden> 3 years of office work as an assistant to Ludwig, the Principal of the Magic School.]
Ludwig’s assistant in the scourge, under the former leader of the Mage League and former Mage Castle?
As far as Caroline knew, he was a family man, and he wasn’t a cover-up.
If it is useless, it is thrown away without mercy. How many times have I seen senior Elin Ludwig get scolded to the point of tears?
‘If it’s true that I helped him in class… … Why is he called a genius Confucius among the Eight Great Schools?’
I was quite puzzled.
It was more interesting than puzzled. So, I felt the need to check it out. Whatever the outcome… … .
“Okay, let’s continue the test.”
* * *
On the marble floor of the testing room, two magic squares rotated interlocking like teeth.
Shock mitigation, damage mitigation.
Shock mitigation magic was to minimize damage to structures, and damage mitigation was to protect the bodies of test takers.
“Now, the rules for the match will be Illuweden, just like before.”
Iluweden.
It means ‘3’ in the language of the gods.
It is a magic battle method in which the one who unleashes up to three magics on each other, neutralizes the other’s magic, and then subdues the opponent wins.
“We will deal with defeat as soon as we pose a life threat to our opponent. Are you familiar with both?”
On the marble floor, a boy and a girl standing facing each other ten paces apart nodded.
“yes.”
“Okay, then start right away!”
As soon as the name was heard, Christa spread her right hand.
Boo.
A magic square rising above it.
Building magic squares, granting runes, and calculating mathematical formulas… … This is the normal process of invoking magic that changes the providence of the world.
‘The Battle Mage’s match is just like a fight with this magic casting speed.’
A veritable proof of genius.
Of course, most wizards bring magic books with drawings of various magic squares, and inject magic into magic squares that fit the situation to spread magic. Mental arithmetic was the realm of genius.
‘From that point of view, Christa’s magic casting speed is not at a level that children her age can follow… … .’
Detailed elements are elegantly painted over the magic square that floated on Christa’s palm.
A rune is engraved in the center, and the mathematical formula that changes the providence of the world fills the rim of Jin in complicated detail.
‘How are you going to stand up against such a Christa?’
Were you thinking the same thing? Christa’s eyebrows twitched as she looked at Lane.
“Aren’t you ready to use magic?”
I had no choice but to ask.
Building a foundation, that is, spreading out your palms to create a magic square, is one of the basics of magic warfare.
But the boy was doing nothing.
“You don’t need to prepare anything to fight with lower magic.”
The boy’s answer was truly spectacle.
“I’m thinking of suitable magic that will end without getting hurt, so do what you’re already doing.”
“A suitable magic that will finish without getting hurt?”
Hot, I thought that Christa was laughing, but her eyes suddenly cooled.
“There’s nothing special about it, and you’ve been provoking it with puns since earlier… … I’ll smash your snout so that you won’t be able to do that cheeky thing again!”
That was the moment.
On top of the magic square that was rotating on Christa’s palm, a second magic square was born and interlocked with precision.
‘Two-star magic… … !’
At the same time, the air rippled with magic power, causing the hem of Caroline’s clothes to flutter wildly.
“Christa, it’s dangerous! That level of magic… … !”
“How are you! This guy is confident! If it’s dangerous, I’ll stop on my own, so don’t worry!”
Being able to use 2-star magic mentally was like a sign of genius.
Can you calculate two equations in your head at the same time? Because this is what 2-star magic requires from the caster.
Christa finally grabbed the magic square that was spinning while burning brightly with her palm.
With Chaeeng and clear hearing, the magic square is broken, and miracles materialize in everyday life.
‘The warden family’s lineage limit is the earth-type summoning magic… … .’
If the Ludwig family were called ‘stealing wizards’, the Wardens were called ‘wishing wizards’.
oh oh oh… … .
The dust seemed to blow up like a storm, and soon a huge figure descended from behind Christa, exuding an overwhelming presence.
“Come on, Sandstone Golem!”
Joints that move smoothly with the body bone composed of hard sandstone and the buoyancy of sand… … .
The magic was cast perfectly.
As if resonating with Christa’s act of brushing her hair, the golem’s eyes flashed fiercely.
“Okay, the match ends here.”
“why?”
“I was only talking about it, but in the end, your level was about this. You couldn’t use any magic until I took out the 2-star magic, right?”
Really pathetic guy.
All the magicians that Christa, praised as the genius of the century, had seen were possessors of powerful magic or vast magical powers. In a word, it can be said that it is a magical celestial realm.
‘Compared to practice and sparring with such people, a match against this guy is… … .’
There is no tension whatsoever.
There is no sense of urgency.
There was no anticipation of what kind of magic the opponent would use. It was a real waste of time.
“Let me thank you. It’s a shame because I kicked out the other test takers, even if anyone sees this pathetic situation—”
Then the boy smiled and raised his index finger.
“—Since it’s a big deal, I’ll give you a tip.”
“what?”
“It is magic. The one who uses it first is not strong.”
Then, on top of the open palm, uh… … A ring of light appeared and spun dazzlingly.
“Depending on the situation, the one who uses the most efficient one is the strongest.”
Christa took a breath.
The speed at which runes are engraved in the magic square and the speed at which mathematical formulas develop… … Because it was really a blink of an eye.
‘No matter how 1-star magic is… … ?’
That magic had already finished developing the magic square before Lane finished speaking.
“Sandstone!”
Sensing danger, the golem aimed at the rain and raised a mighty fist, scattering dust everywhere.
The shape of the magic square is a circle.
The rune to engrave is heat.
Rain’s magic, in short, was inputting the ‘widespread’ trait into number-attribute magic.
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
The water that was born with the disappearance of the magic square spread out in the air and descended, pouring down on the golem who was punching it.
‘Was it a water magician… … !’
Christa, whose hair and clothes were drenched in the waterfall, raised her eyebrows.
‘It is a well-known fact that the water attribute is the natural enemy of the earth attribute… … But even so, it’s no big deal with 1-star magic!’
Although the golem’s defense and mobility should be lowered, it was impossible to inflict a critical hit with such magic in the first place.
Pooh—!
The golem’s fist struck the ground, shattering into a mess and splashing mud in all directions.
The world turned into muddy water in an instant.
But at the same time, it is also true that the field of vision was disturbed by lumps of mud.
‘I was aiming for this… … !’
At that moment, he controlled the golem and tried to incapacitate the boy with an attack close to the depths of the earth.
‘uh… … ?!’
Suddenly, I couldn’t even think of it. The ring of light rotating in Rain’s right hand was two layers… … .
‘No, it must have been only 2 seconds since I just used 1-star magic?’
The moment Christa couldn’t even blink her eyes in embarrassment, Rain’s mind had finished all the calculations.
The shape of the magic square is a double square.
The runes inscribed are Yul (律) and Kwe (櫃).
Grants the traits of ‘binding’ and ‘reversing flow’ to earth attribute magic. The mathematical formula that needs to be mentally calculated is the ‘Previs Differentiation Method’.
“Deriving the right answer, changing the providence.”
Chaeeng… … As the magic square shattered, scattering fragments of light, countless vines burst out through the cracks in the marble flagstone.
Paba Baba Baba Park——!
And it dug deep into the golem’s legs, whose surface was weakened by water magic… … It doesn’t stop there, it gradually goes up.
oh oh oh… … .
The golem twitched wildly like a beast pierced by a spear, but its movements in an instant became stiff and immobile.
“Sandstone, Sandstone!”
Christa hurriedly shouted, but the golem only creaked with difficulty and could not move.
And then, the last vine rose from the feet and bound Christa’s hands and feet in an instant.
The bonds were so strong that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move. I heard Lane’s voice.
“Look, you don’t necessarily win by writing first, right?”
I lost… … Christa was idly trying to organize the current situation in her head, then burst into a shout.
“You, you, let go of this! Won’t you let go?”
“I think the win or loss has already been decided.”
“shut up! I’ve only used one spell yet? So this is invalid! And how many times have I given you a chance—”
“—It doesn’t feel very good to lose to someone, right?”
Christa, who was struggling on the vine, stopped involuntarily at the calm and calm voice.
“You seem to be quite strong, too, but you didn’t have to desperately press down like before.”
“That, that… … ! It’s such a test in the first place. I am in a position to test my aptitude!”
“It’s not that you are strong by simply pressing down with force, but knowing how to push your back with that force is really strong.”
I still don’t know the meaning of it in detail, but I think I know it to some extent as I’ve seen the backs of those three people for 5 years.
really.
It really doesn’t suit me though.
Still, I thought that I wanted to change like those guys… … After conveying what Friede had said, he felt embarrassed for no reason, so he reaped the vine of superpowers with a shy clearing of his throat.
“… … .”
The boy didn’t know if the heartbreaking teaching had reached him, but Christa was silent, unable to find anything to say.
‘Nonsense.’
On the other hand, Professor Caroline, who was watching the situation, could not keep her mouth shut.
‘It’s not that I didn’t use magic the first time, it’s that I didn’t use it… … ?’
For the perfect counter? Rather than that, what the hell was that super-fast calculation you just did?
‘After deriving the golem’s weakness with water attribute magic, it was definitely finished with a final blow… … .’
What made it possible was the magic calculation speed that can only be described as unrealistic.
‘What the hell is that calculation speed… … Wasn’t it on the same level as the President?’
But that was completely incomprehensible.
Wasn’t Madelia Page, the president of <Delaiten>, a wizard of the current rank of Glados (4 stars)?
The next moment, Caroline involuntarily muttered:
“That’s a disaster from heaven… … ?”