Magic Revolution

Magic Revolution

The small reception room in front of the market’s audience chamber.

With its plush sofas and cozy atmosphere, it was a place where people often gathered for brief meetings.

Currently, Pan-Dalus, Refinement, and I were huddled together, racking our brains over how to handle the Alpine City problem. The other elders had dumped everything on us, saying we should decide as we saw fit. Everyone was too impatient for meetings when they could be researching instead.

We needed to reach a conclusion quickly so we could each return to our research, but… this was quite the dilemma.

Ah, who should we send?

Unlike Lanciel City, whose gate had been destroyed, Alpine City’s gate was confirmed to be intact. Those unforgivable bastards were looting from wilderness residents. The problem was that we didn’t know who was behind it.

I wanted to either go myself or send one of the elders, but everyone was busy.

Refinement, Sonnet, and Pan-Dalus had started organizing a new system of magical study based on mana.

Meanwhile, Refinement was also working with Kim Ji-woong to develop barriers and protective talismans to prevent water transformation,

And Pan-Dalus was collaborating with Hedric to convert the Sand Plateau into fertile land.

Ak-hu was continuously refining the Philosopher’s Stone.

It was impossible for any of them to go on an expedition.

“Couldn’t we send Lytol? If it’s connected to Alpine City, it must be the Seonang Stairs on the 7th floor, which Lytol could easily subdue. He’s now a 5th Circle mage, after all.”

Both Pan-Dalus and I shook our heads at Refinement’s suggestion.

“There’s a strong possibility that powerful mages are stationed on the 7th floor right now. Magic Tower has already tried to strike at me from behind using Principal Ruttle. The indiscriminate looting taking place in Alpine City is too excessive for just a single staircase.”

Pan-Dalus nodded in agreement with my explanation. Refinement looked exasperated.

“But we can’t mobilize the elders for things like this. If elders had to move for every issue, our most important research would constantly be delayed.”

That’s why we were troubled. Pathfinder severely lacked wizard-level combat forces. Yet we couldn’t rashly risk losing our precious high-ranking mages either.

Thud!

The sound of a door being roughly opened broke the silence.

“Well, that’s fortunate.”

The ruffian who entered without knocking was Evan Petrov. A war specialist with combat power easily exceeding a 5th Circle mage, who could readily kill a 6th Circle wizard with the Coin of Rebellion.

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. It just happened to reach my ears. Anyway, this works out well. I’ll go. I was about to say I needed to do something because I’m getting restless, and this is perfect timing.”

Refinement immediately bared his teeth at Evan’s declarative tone.

“Don’t talk nonsense, murderer.”

Evan’s eyebrow twitched upward.

“Already old enough to lose your front teeth, little one? Want me to help with that?”

He clenched his fist and approached Refinement.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

Tap.

Pan-Dalus placed something like a finger-sized conch shell on the table. The conch shell vibrated on its own, creating a strange resonant sound.

Reeee-aaaaah-

At first glance, it sounded like a beautiful woman’s voice, but listening closely, it was more like a chorus of countless voices. Inaudible ultrasonic and infrasonic waves were mixed in, making the table tremble. To my ears, it was just an unusual sound, but it seemed different for Evan. His feet, which had been approaching Refinement, suddenly froze in place, and his face turned pale.

“It’s made from a processed siren’s vocal cords. It will be quite painful if you come any closer. Don’t act rashly, Evan Petrov.”

Evan grumbled at Pan-Dalus’s calm warning.

“What? Even you, old man?”

Was he thinking we’d built some rapport during our late-night discussions? His voice carried a hint of betrayal. But Pan-Dalus responded indifferently.

“Aren’t you just an unleashed beast? It can’t be helped.”

Refinement went a step further. He awakened his Circle with a hum and pressured Evan significantly.

“He is the Chairman. Watch your mouth, you uneducated butcher.”

Of course, a knight who lived by toughness and malice wouldn’t be intimidated by such things.

“Ha! Do you think I’d speak respectfully to mere mages?”

…It’s a wonder no fight had broken out until now.

Regardless, they’ve lived as archenemies their entire lives, so it’s unrealistic to expect trust and affection to bloom immediately.

Still, I had to support Evan.

I’m the only one who knows his true feelings. A runaway knight experiencing an identity crisis needs to be treated well.

“Ah, I agree. This is excellent. Evan going to Alpine City is perfect.”

My support was met with immediate opposition.

“Are you insane! Talk some sense!”

Refinement dropped his polite speech and jumped to his feet.

“Hmm… I must also oppose this time, Senior Elder. If Evan were to betray us, the damage would be too great. I followed your position in returning his weapons, but sending him away with our mages is a bit…”

Even Pan-Dalus, who usually followed my opinions, cast a dissenting vote.

But what could I do?

No matter how uncomfortable and awkward it might be, this runaway knight with nowhere to go had to stay with us now. Simultaneously, this was our first step toward forming a united front with the Knight Order. I couldn’t give up on that.

“I’ll send my nomad members with him. You know what a nomad’s oath means, right? I have a duty to protect them. Evan will never harm them. I’m certain of this, which is why I’m willing to send my nomad members with him.”

“Haah…”

Refinement covered his face with a deep sigh, and Pan-Dalus clicked his tongue. It’s not easy to reject a mage’s assertion when they invoke oaths.

I shrugged and said to Evan,

“Don’t take this personally. It’s not like you decided to stay by my side to get along with mages anyway, right?”

“I have no complaints. I’m going to kill trash mages from now on anyway.”

Though Evan said he was going to kill the Alpine City mages, his burning eyes were fixed on Refinement. I struggled to hold Refinement back from throwing a fit as we sent Evan away.

“Ah! Yuria will be in charge of our nomad during my absence! Listen to her well!”

I shouted after Evan as he left, but he didn’t respond.

Well… she will manage him somehow.

After Evan had gone, Refinement expressed his discontent.

“Haah… Baek Jun-woo. I don’t understand. Do you really trust that fellow? You say you saw his true heart in the Akashic Record, but people’s hearts change constantly. It wouldn’t be strange if his mind changed again. He’s a knight. The hatred for mages instilled in him since childhood won’t disappear so easily.”

I shrugged once more.

“Yes. I can trust him. Because he now knows.”

“Knows what?”

“That compared to the miracle of reviving a dying world, something as trivial as a knight changing his mind is insignificant. That the Knight Order alone can never prevent the world’s extinction. He hasn’t betrayed the Knight Order. He will never betray the Knight Order’s belief in preventing extinction. I believe in that conviction. Someone with such beliefs couldn’t possibly harm Pathfinder.”

“Hmm…”

Though he understood intellectually, it seemed his heart couldn’t accept it. Refinement buried himself in the sofa with a deeply furrowed brow.

Rather, it was Pan-Dalus who slowly nodded while exhaling a sigh.

“Yes. Times have changed…”

With that single sentence, he seemed to shake off years of accumulated wounds, distrust, resentment, and madness. Among those present, Pan-Dalus, being the eldest, probably held the most unpleasant memories of the Knight Order… yet he accepted the situation faster than Refinement.

“Phew…”

Perhaps feeling ashamed, Refinement hung his head and sighed.

Truly,

Master Pan-Dalus is an elder.

More flexible and broader in mind than anyone.

Could I be like that?

I could understand why mages had gathered around Pan-Dalus, entrusting their lives to him despite his exile-like situation.

This great magnanimity. That’s why I extended my hand.

“Anyway, since this is settled, Chairman. How about opening your pocket? First, please hand over that ‘Siren’s Vocal Cords’ from earlier, and if you have other good items, take those out too. I’ll entrust them to Yuria. That should put your mind at ease, right? If things go wrong, she can subdue Evan.”

“Heh, hehehe.”

Pan-Dalus laughed dejectedly, looking like he’d been hit with a sucker punch.

“You… damn brat. Damn it. Those wilderness followers everyone talks about should see this scene. You shameless bandit.”

Refinement growled as if telling me to bury my self-satisfaction.

Wait, why is this man suddenly bringing up wilderness residents?

If you’re envious, just say so.

* * *

Clang-!

Thud-!

Boom!

“Gaaargh!”

One of Ak-hu’s disciples who had been hammering flew backwards. His arm was twisted at a grotesque angle.

“How pathetic! There’s hesitation at the tip of your hammer! How can you expect the Collapse Strike to work properly? Remember this. Collapse Strike is a technique that destroys you the moment you fail. There’s no room for hesitation!”

Ak-hu shouted loudly and then looked toward Yuria.

“Experienced assistant forward!”

“Forward!”

She stepped forward energetically. She placed 50 Morning on the anvil and composed herself.

“Collapse Strike!”

Boom! Magical power exploded from her chest. The vortex that started from her chest wrapped around her elbow and wrist, and she swung the hammer in sync with that timing.

Crash!

Her hammer plunged into the anvil, completely ignoring the recoil. Ak-hu looked satisfied.

“That’s it! Everyone remember this. There is no failure in Collapse Strike! Even if you hit the wrong place at the wrong time, Collapse Strike is about breaking through all those disadvantages. If bone blocks it, break the bone; if a shield blocks it, break the shield; if a mountain blocks it, break the mountain! Please, at least try to follow half as well as the Mage of Penetration! Now, next! Do it right this time!”

The Mage of Penetration is Yuria’s mage title. No one has as much talent for analyzing and learning as her.

I called to her as she stepped back with beads of sweat on her forehead.

“What’s up~?”

She brightened up.

“Take these first.”

I handed her the ‘Siren’s Vocal Cords’ and ‘Fairy’s Tears’ that I’d extracted from Pan-Dalus. They were treasures that work well against mages but are even more effective against knights.

Pan-Dalus was a renowned magical device maker in a different way from Refinement. He had the ability to enhance and seal the special power within materials, not just process them. Fitting for his name, “Domestication,” isn’t it?

“Take the entire nomad to Alpine City. Confirm who’s behind Alpine City, and if you can subdue them, do so.”

“Everyone means… seven including me?”

“No. Eight. Take Magiro too.”

“Ah. Your disciple?”

That old mage who follows me around calling me “master” with a demonic face. Somehow, it gives me the chills.

“Yes. He keeps bothering me. Share what you’ve learned with him along the way.”

“Alright~ But what are all these?”

Yuria held up the Siren’s Vocal Cords and Fairy’s Tears.

“Evan will be going with you, so I got these from Pan-Dalus saying they could subdue him if necessary. The instructions are on that note. Just hold onto them for now. If we have extras, we’ll keep them. And please take good care of Evan. He looked pitiful with hostile people everywhere.”

“Being nice to him? That’s something I’m good at.”

Of course. I know that better than anyone.

“Oh, and just in case.”

I held her left hand. I transferred the Iron Blood dwelling in my left hand to her finger.

‘You need to protect her well.’

-Nooooo…

Iron Blood resisted, but I ignored it. This thing had just been absorbing blood without doing any work lately. You need to earn your keep too.

“Ow! Hot! What’s this?”

“I’m lending it to you. Its name is Iron Blood. You should be able to handle it quickly. Travel safely.”

After hesitating, I added,

“…Don’t get hurt.”

Her sky-blue eyes sparkled.

“Kid. I’m Yuria, remember? The orphan who survived two years in the wilderness alone as a vagrant. The demon child that even hell couldn’t take. Yuria Lin. Haven’t you heard of me?”

I know.

I recognized that when you danced after annihilating the Lanches group.

Still,

Don’t get hurt.