Chapter 56

Chapter : 56

Elemental Magic, as its name suggested, was magic that handled the various elements of nature.

The magic that freely used things one would commonly think of, such as fire or water, was precisely Elemental Magic. Ian explained the characteristics of Elemental Magic.

“People who learn Elemental Magic usually dig into one path. The power of their mana and Magical Power matters more than their skill in handling magic. That is why they spend most of each day on Mana Refinement and meditation.”

“Then do they choose only one element?”

“Some mages do, but in my view, it is inefficient. Even if you focus on one, your handling only improves a little, so it is better to use them broadly.”

Ian had said it would take a week for me to handle basic Elemental Magic.

Perhaps because the situation was urgent, however, I drank Mana Potions all day and devoted myself solely to magic, and in exactly four days, I could summon all four elements.

Fire and water, wind and earth moved and danced according to my fingertips.

According to Ian’s explanation, the power of Elemental Magic depended on mana and Magical Power.

But its application, how quickly one moved Elemental Magic and how far one could exert power through it, depended on one’s proficiency with magic.

The sparring match with Jefrin was drawing near.

Rather than Mana Refinement and meditation, I worked to raise my proficiency in Elemental Magic.

“I am starting. Follow me exactly.”

Ian stood facing me at a distance of about three meters.

Water burst forcefully from his hand, as though a faucet had been turned. Ian moved that water without leaving a single drop behind and shook it in great sweeps.

I imitated Ian.

I sprayed water and moved my magic in the same motions as Ian.

I tried to create the shape of the water symmetrically, as if there were a transparent wall between us and the water was reflected across that wall like a decalcomania print.

The area around my eyes trembled, and my breath grew short. The water element had a tendency to keep flowing, so it was easier to handle only if it was kept constantly in motion.

The problem was that I did not know what Ian would do next. Without giving me so much as a glance, Ian connected spell to spell however he pleased.

He spread the water in every direction, gathered it back together, shot it high into the sky, and called it back.

Even when my reactions were late, Ian did not wait for me and kept moving ahead. Cold sweat ran down my forehead from the work that demanded extreme concentration.

Aside from the fire element, I learned Elemental Magic this way and raised my proficiency. I handled the magic directly and tried to use it exactly as Ian did.

Then, whenever my mana ran out, I filled it again with Mana Potions.

That was how it was for every element except fire. Fire was different. Because of its power, fire held a special place even within Elemental Magic.

Mages who chose one element and specialized in it picked fire without exception. That was how outstanding its power was as a single element.

Even if a strong wind blew, it only made hair flutter. Even if water was poured over someone, it only soaked their clothes. If a thrown stone hit badly, it could kill, but it was still not as effective as several people picking up rocks and hurling them. Fire was different. If used well, even a tiny spark was enough to spread flames and kill something.

Fire was an incredible weapon simply by being emitted.

“Pour it out! Stronger! Harder!”

I stretched fire straight forward.

Ian was blocking it so it would not scatter around, so I focused only on breathing out fire without thinking about cleaning up afterward.

An astonishingly powerful blaze spread out. Compared to Flame Bullet, it lacked speed and destructive force upon impact, but its range was incomparably wider.

Sweating from the heat of the flames, I cast the spell until my mana hit bottom.

“Haa... Haa...”

I caught my labored breath and calmed my body. Trying to touch magic above my level felt as though my heart might stop.

The temperature dropped at the ends of my body, and my vision spun. I endured that state for a long while, so my physical condition was a mess.

“It is decent. You can use it in real combat.”

“Are you sure this is all right?”

“That is enough. In terms of power alone, you are far better than ordinary elemental mages. Your handling is still quite lacking, though.”

“That is only in terms of power. What about when you are not there? What if the flames scatter around?”

Ian blinked, then clapped once.

“Ah.”

I learned how to control flames as an additional lesson.

It took longer than simply emitting fire. Fire was especially difficult to control.

---

Every morning, I got up and checked the calendar. Tomorrow was the day I had promised Jefrin. I was still at the Magic Tower.

While I was thinking over a way to ensure that I would absolutely not lose against Jefrin, a brilliant move came to mind.

I spent the day practicing it. Since I had to return to the territory by tomorrow, I needed to leave the Magic Tower today.

“Then shall we try it one last time before you go?”

“If you can, then go on. Try it.”

Ian sneered at me and breathed fire toward the sky.

Until now, when practicing this, he had used elements that were relatively easier to handle, but he had suddenly skipped several stages. Without complaint, I followed Ian and breathed fire.

The flames Ian emitted spread in every direction and scattered embers like a fountain. There was a grandeur to it, as though a flower were blooming. Just before the embers touched the ground, Ian called them back into his hand and controlled the fire.

I admired the astonishing trick and tried to imitate it. Even if I failed, Ian would clean it up, so I breathed fire without burden.

I fired flames toward the sky. The speed was noticeably slower than Ian’s. This was the best I could do without losing control. Even though the flames were sluggish, their blaze was enough to burn something and threaten it. I split and spread the fire as it was.

The flames divided.

My hands trembled, and my teeth clacked together. I worked desperately to stop the fire from flying in directions I did not intend.

I spread the fire. The clumps were larger than Ian’s had been, and the number of embers was smaller. From the start, Ian was an Archmage who had risen to become the master of a Magic Tower. There was no way I could do the same thing he did. Even so, I succeeded in performing the motion itself. I gathered the embers I had spread and absorbed them. Then I shook out the retrieved fire and extinguished it.

“Well done.”

Even Ian, who was stingy with praise, nodded with a satisfied smile. Even in my own view, I had done well. Yes, this was enough. I had reached a level where I had nothing more to wish for. Now I intended to return to Isaac. After finishing my confrontation with Jefrin, I would rest at the manor for a few days and then return to the Academy.

What would Ian do after I left?

The reason he had enrolled in the Academy and attended classes had been because of the dead Katein’s final words. More precisely, it was because Ian had judged that Katein would have wanted him to do so. Was that still true now?

“The semester will start soon. What will you do?”

“I will go.”

Ian answered as though I had asked something obvious. Since his answer seemed to imply there was no need to give a reason, I simply accepted it.

“Then I will see you then.”

Ian reached toward my head and took the cone-shaped hat. Then he lightly struck my chest with his fist and said,

“Let us meet in good health. And make sure you win.”

---

I left the Magic Tower and headed toward Isaac. Considering the time, it seemed difficult to arrive by midnight, and I would probably get there at dawn tomorrow. The promise was tomorrow, so I thought I could return, rest briefly, and then meet Jefrin.

The Academy’s opening day was drawing near, and the thought made a sigh escape me.

I had meant to spend the vacation playing to my heart’s content. I had meant to find a hobby I could enjoy consistently, sleep lazily all day to relieve my body’s fatigue, and look around to taste delicious foods I had never eaten in the modern world.

“Haa....”

Unintentionally, I had spent my vacation productively. I had returned to the family and firmly secured my position as Head of the House, visited Ingrid and kept my promise with Agares. After that, I went to the Magic Tower and studied until my nose nearly bled, learning magic.

Now I had to return to the territory and fight Jefrin, and a few days after that sparring match ended, the Academy would begin again. It felt unfair. I had already worked so hard at the Academy, so what was this during vacation?

Still, once this sparring match was over, it would truly be finished. I would rest deeply for a few days, soothe my body and mind, and then go to the Academy. My Academy life after that would not be as packed as before. Since I had not failed in any major way so far, my future was secure.

As the night deepened, my eyelids began to close. I dozed in the carriage and waited to arrive at Isaac. Whenever the carriage rattled now and then, I woke, making it a tiring place to sleep.

“Um, they say the road is under construction... I think we will have to go around.”

The coachman spoke to me while I was half-asleep. I told him to do so and closed my eyes again. After that, perhaps the carriage traveled on a smooth road, or perhaps I fell into a deep sleep, because I only opened my eyes in the morning.

“Where is this?”

The coachman looked at me, widened his eyes as though flustered, and scratched his head.

“I told you last night, did I not? The road was damaged, so we are going around through Felix. Even so, we should arrive around midnight today.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly, but thinking that the coachman could hardly be at fault, I calmly nodded. Just as the coachman had said, I arrived at the estate manor around midnight that day. At least I had arrived before the date changed, so I had not broken the promise itself.

But everything had such a thing as “within reason.” We were not going to fight as soon as we finished breakfast, nor were we going to fight after the sun had set, so in effect, we had agreed to meet around noon.

It would have been better if he had been resting inside the manor, but when I got down from the carriage, I saw a figure at the front gate.

He had a sword at his waist and leaned against the wall, his face full of irritation. Perhaps he had suffered quite a bit during that time, because his face had grown gaunt, and his hair had grown a little longer.

As I walked toward the manor, Jefrin pushed himself off the wall and raised his head. Our eyes met. He seemed to have waited for quite a long time. Judging by the way his eyes blazed, he was thoroughly angry.

“It has been a while. You have been well, yes? I heard you joined the White Lion Knights. That is good. They are the finest knight order in the Empire.”

“Yes. It has been a long time. Judging by your bright complexion, it seems you have been well.”

Tap, tap.

Jefrin tapped the ground a few times with the sole of his foot, then spoke.

“We can postpone conversation until later. Why not finish what must be done first?”

“Are you sure? It seems you have been standing for a long time. Aren’t you hungry? It is late too. How about we do it tomorrow?”

“No. Since today was the appointed day, I want to finish it today.”

I looked up at the sky. Only a small crescent moon barely illuminated the ground between the thick clouds, and it was very dark.

“Shall we?”

I brightened at Jefrin’s words and accepted at once. I felt sorry to Jefrin, but these conditions were absurdly favorable to me. Jefrin would be tired from standing around for so long, and he had to be hungry too.

Before Jefrin could withdraw his words, I led him to the drill ground.