The Mage of Refinement

The Mage of Refinement

“So who exactly is this Mage of Refinement… huh?”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was too shocked.

‘What is this?’

A grayish fog rose hazily before my eyes. It was mana. Intricate patterns appeared and dispersed repeatedly in the empty air. A dance of mana… matching it, magic circles all around brightened and dimmed. The harmony between the patterns created by the gray mana and the magic circles made of real white and blue light.

And then I heard a voice that only I could hear.

Like actors in a play, magical powers lined up and murmured someone’s words.

<Initiating intruder elimination procedure…>

<Unauthorized request. Rejecting… Error. Critical malfunction in internal clock mechanism.>

It was the ego of the ancient relic site that formed the foundation of Lanciel City.

The magical powers spoke following the ego’s calculations, and the entire city filled with murmurs that only my ears could detect.

But… this phenomenon itself wasn’t surprising. I’d seen similar things at the Guardian’s Graveyard and at Arsenal #7.

What truly shocked me was,

‘Someone… is interfering?’

-Intruders… 13,617 individuals…

Screech-!

-Error. Recalibrating.

-Intruders: 173 individuals.

After a piercing high-frequency sound passed, the number of intruders changed from 13,617 to 173.

‘13,617 is… the total population of Lanciel City? Then 173 must be the true number of intruders?’

Who could have made such a change? How?

-Serious error detected. Initiating emergency shutdown of unauthorized functions…

Beep-!

-Error. Insufficient power. Canceling emergency shutdown.

The ego’s declaration to initiate emergency shutdown was canceled due to power depletion, and,

-Requesting activation of Deus concealment veil.

-Rejected. No authorized commander present.

Rumble!

-Error. Error. Error.

-Preparing to activate Deus concealment veil. One minute remaining.

The “Deus concealment veil,” which couldn’t be activated without an authorized commander, suddenly entered preparation mode after a massive tremor passed through.

-Severe error currently occurring. Checking for problems.

Ziiiing-

-Diagnostic system down.

-Intruder elimination procedure ready. Activating anti-Deus concealment veil in 50 seconds.

-Unauthorized procedure. Cancelling…

Rumble!

-Error. Error. Emergency situation. Switching to autonomous mode.

-Initiating intruder elimination procedure.

After a shower of noisy murmurs passed, the activation of the “intruder elimination procedure” and “Deus concealment veil” finally began.

All of the system’s resistance had been breached!

‘Ha… haha… controlling a relic site without authorization? Was this even possible? Could someone actually do this?’

Goosebumps spread from my arms to the nape of my neck.

Goosebumps? Me? At someone else’s magic?

“Is this… what they call the Mage of Refinement?”

I could understand without anyone explaining.

My gaze fixed on the sky above the lord’s castle.

A boy who had dozens of magic-infused stone tablets floating around him, constantly muttering and moving his hands.

Black hair and a black coat. But the scarf around his neck and his narrowly visible eyes were yellow like forsythia flowers. He was small in stature and looked about my age.

Wait, about my age?

“Oh right, Captain, you don’t know the Mage of Refinement, Oh Si-jin, do you?”

Hwarin, who had approached me, explained.

“He has countless names. The greatest magical device designer of this era, the darling of magical academia. A genius versed in all types of magical theory. The one who doesn’t age. Or the one who doesn’t grow. But the most famous nickname is probably ‘Archaeological Hacker.'”

“…Archaeological Hacker?”

“Yes. He earned that nickname because he can use undeciphered relics and artifacts with ghostly skill. Since even master mages can’t do that… he’s famous in many ways. Even more than most master mages.”

“Ah… I see.”

I examined the floating mage called Oh Si-jin again. He was still hovering in the air, manipulating what appeared to be stone tablets that functioned as magical devices. The entire Lanciel City responded to each of his gestures.

So that’s what they call an archaeological hacker…?

“Then what about ‘the one who doesn’t age’ and ‘the one who doesn’t grow’? What do those mean?”

“Oh, the Mage of Refinement started researching relic sites when he was 15. Then an experiment went wrong, and his appearance became fixed in that state. So don’t be fooled by his youthful appearance. He’s actually in his late thirties.”

Hwarin kept chattering, mentioning that he was also part of the previous generation’s Eleven Hatchlings and considered a young sage throughout the Tower of Covenant, not just within the Academy. But I didn’t care about any of that. I kept my gaze fixed on the Mage of Refinement.

“What are you looking at?”

Hwarin tilted her head as she followed my gaze, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to respond.

‘What kind of magic is he using? What’s the principle behind it?’

Curiosity? Collector’s instinct? Competitive spirit?

Unfamiliar emotions churned in my chest. A single thought kept echoing in my mind.

I want to know everything.

All that you know.

+ – + – +

The Mage of Refinement, Oh Si-jin, always had a furrowed brow. Others thought he controlled relic sites with ease, but in truth, every single instance was like a life-or-death duel. One small misjudgment, one tiny miscalculation could lead to disaster.

Even now, with his face intensely scrunched up, he continuously decoded the runic languages blinking on the mana stone tablets.

“Substituting into the Mana Catastrophe probability distribution equation…”

“Damn it! Why is Hwion’s wind line popping up there?”

“Try again… at this point, I should apply Trimacos and Plason’s formula…”

“Huh? Is this… Samagong’s vibration phenomenon? But… no. Damn it. Let’s play it safe. Shock wave level 7!”

Rumble!

A massive tremor passed through the entire city as he took some measure.

After muttering and manipulating something for quite a while, the mana stone tablets and the runic languages on them finally stabilized. No more new runes appeared or disappeared; they just emitted a soft glow.

“Whew…”

Having finally found some breathing room, Oh Si-jin narrowed his yellow eyes and admired the miracle he had wrought.

Aaaaargh! Aaah!

The ground below was now filled with screams.

‘These damn Butchers… they’ve really gone mad? What could they possibly find worth taking with such a large-scale invasion?’

There were 173 of them. He couldn’t win in a direct confrontation… but now that he had activated the relic site’s defense magic, there would be no problem.

Kaboom!

Pillars of light striking down from the sky and surging up from the ground tore the Knight Order to pieces. Those who died instantly were fortunate. Those who didn’t were judged by the pillars of light three times, ten times, until they died. The Knight Order died like shredded cockroaches.

Observing this scene, Oh Si-jin narrowed his eyes.

‘What? Are these really Butchers? Why do they possess magical power?’

Full of suspicion, his eyes fell on one knight. He was small in stature and slender, but he wielded a yellow beam spear like a ghost. This knight, who had driven Lytol to the brink of death, somehow dodged the pillars of light and pulled out a sphere the size of a fist from his chest.

“Oh? That’s…”

Oh Si-jin hurriedly reached out, but the knight was faster. As he shattered the sphere, the space around him distorted and swallowed him.

“Long-distance spatial movement spell…”

The knight had vanished without a trace. Oh Si-jin clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“Well… I suppose I should be satisfied with killing 172 of them? But what are these things, really? Seeing them use spatial movement spells almost confirms they’re not the Knight Order… I’d like to capture a prisoner, but…”

Boom! Crash!

Watching the merciless pillars of light striking down and then striking up again, Oh Si-jin shook his head.

‘Trying to stop that might cause bigger problems.’

He dismissed his lingering attachment and looked down at the ground.

He could see the grateful juniors who had survived this chaos. Fel Jack, the second son of Mayor Earn Jack, was visible, as was Lytol Shaplink, who had reportedly succeeded him as one of the Eleven Hatchlings.

‘The enemy’s size seems to have been larger than expected, yet they managed to withstand it. Impressive. I’m sure it was thanks to Lytol’s performance? And from what I saw earlier, Fel seems to have grown a lot too.’

As he nodded to himself, his eyes fell on a white-haired boy. A boy staring intently at him. Oh Si-jin flinched in surprise and stroked his black coat.

‘The invisibility magic is working properly, right? …Must be coincidence?’

But the boy’s eyes were bizarrely accurate in pointing directly at him.

+ – + – +

“B-Brother!”

When Ann Jack ran toward him with reddened cheeks, Fel Jack unconsciously spread his arms.

My little sister! With an overwhelming feeling, he called back.

“Ann!”

But,

“Brother Si-jin!”

Before he could casually lower his awkwardly spread arms, Ann swept right past Fel.

The Mage of Refinement, Oh Si-jin, clutched his forehead with his left hand as if he had a headache, while pushing Ann’s forehead away with his right.

“Hey, hey, you’re giving me a headache. And I’m an uncle to you. ‘Brother’?”

“Brother…. Si-jin… sniff.”

But seeing Ann’s face with tears welling up, he sighed deeply, then quietly extended his arm to embrace her back. Since Ann was about half a fist taller, it looked more like she was covering him rather than being embraced. Either way, Ann seemed satisfied.

“Sob… sob. I knew at least you would come. I never trusted those other humans from the beginning. But it’s okay now. Since you came… waaah… sniff… but… Father is already…”

“Yes, yes… I’m sorry I’m late.”

Oh Si-jin slowly patted Ann’s back. Fel, who had been watching this scene with mixed emotions, stepped forward.

“It’s been a long time, Mage of Refinement. Please forgive my sister’s rudeness.”

Oh Si-jin shook his head.

“No. It’s fine. Seeing her makes me really feel like I’ve returned to Lanciel City.”

Then he quietly gazed at Fel. Fel gazed back at him. Both were thinking of the deceased Earn Jack. That man who was Fel’s father and Oh Si-jin’s benefactor and patron. But neither voiced these thoughts. They simply nodded and shook hands once.

After calming the sobbing Ann, Oh Si-jin was the one who changed the atmosphere.

“Anyway. There’s nothing to worry about now. I’ve killed all the intruders except for one who escaped… and the calamities that have gathered won’t be able to penetrate the Deus concealment veil. However… since the power’s residue hasn’t disappeared, I’ll need to stay here for three weeks to definitively drive away the calamities. Pan-Dalus asked us to gather as quickly as possible, but given the circumstances, we have no choice.”

After briefly explaining the situation, he looked toward Lytol.

“Lytol? I’ve heard a lot about you, but this is our first time meeting in person. I’ve always been busy out in the field. By the way… was it your judgment to eliminate the enemies gathered at the gate? That was excellent. Thanks to that, I was able to infiltrate safely and gain control of Lanciel City’s relic. If those enemies there hadn’t been dealt with… not only would I have failed to gain control, but I might have been in danger myself.”

But everyone just stared at him with round eyes.

“Enemies at the gate?”

This was news to Lytol. From beginning to end, he had been too occupied fighting the knight with the beam spear to pay attention to other enemies. Lytol turned to look at Fel. The only comrade who had gone into the lord’s castle and come back was Fel. But Fel also shook his head.

“No. I turned back before reaching the gate. Were there enemies gathered at the gate as well?”

This time Oh Si-jin tilted his head, his brow still furrowed.

“What? Then who eliminated all those enemies?”

Everyone shook their heads. Hwarin glanced at Baek Jun-woo and said,

“The Captain didn’t cast any spells in that direction either…”

All eyes turned to Baek Jun-woo. But he just kept his head down, muttering something, seemingly not paying any attention to what was being said around him.

Oh Si-jin narrowed his eyes and looked Baek Jun-woo up and down.

‘Captain? Isn’t that the kid from earlier? But… he’s the captain, not Lytol?’

He had looked young from above, but up close he seemed even younger. Probably not even sixteen.

“Hey.”

Oh Si-jin called out to Baek Jun-woo.

But Baek Jun-woo didn’t answer. He just kept muttering something. Oh Si-jin’s brow furrowed even more. Such concentration is good. But,

‘Shouldn’t he at least have some manners?’

Just as he was about to give him a sharp rebuke, Baek Jun-woo suddenly raised his head. Startled by the sudden movement, Oh Si-jin took a step back. Baek Jun-woo’s eyes shone with joy and confidence.

“W-what?”

When Oh Si-jin asked,

“You’re wrong.”

Baek Jun-woo answered immediately.

“W-what is?”

“That part.”

Baek Jun-woo’s finger pointed to a spot in the sky. A cracked barrier. A place where the calamities, not yet fully retreated, gathered like a school of fish, lurking ominously.

“What about it?”

“The Deus concealment veil. It’s manifesting incorrectly.”

“What?”

Oh Si-jin, who had been half-retreating, took a step forward. His upper body leaned toward Baek Jun-woo.

“What did you just say? Kid?”

But Baek Jun-woo, paying no attention, extended his hand toward the crack in the barrier.

“The emergency shutdown command, activation command, and barrier restoration command are conflicting, causing the Deus concealment veil to malfunction in that area. If we fix just that part, the calamities will retreat in three days, not three weeks. Like this.”

What followed from Baek Jun-woo’s mouth was a language Oh Si-jin couldn’t understand at all.

<#$%@$!>

‘A primordial incantation…?’

Oh Si-jin’s eyes widened. He hurriedly waved his hand.

“Summon! Mana stone!”

Thud!

Oh Si-jin frantically examined the large stone tablet that appeared before him.

The runic languages glowing softly on the stone blinked a few times, then changed their position and form.

After settling back into place, the runes emitted a brighter light than before.

“What is this…? Kante’s category stabilization? How…?”

He checked the mana stone and the cracked barrier in the sky several times. Rapidly, the cracked barrier was repairing itself, and beyond it, the gathered calamities let out a long wailing sound before slowly dispersing.

“Impossible…”

With trembling hands, Oh Si-jin tapped Ann, who was standing beside him.

“Who… who is he?”

Ann answered with a sour voice.

“The Divine… Mage, they say.”

+ – + – +

Second floor of the Tower of Covenant. Dozens of hooded figures were walking.

The man behind the leader at the front asked:

“Brother. Earlier we could have avoided the fight… why did you engage? If we had left them alone, they would have fought among themselves. Wouldn’t that have been more beneficial?”

“…I didn’t like seeing dirty mages impersonating our brothers. And the outcome was already decided. If we hadn’t killed them, that white-haired kid would have.”

“…He was strong. Wouldn’t it have been better to crush him before he grows? He seemed exhausted.”

Another man interjected. But the man at the front shook his head.

“No. Our current mission is to gather, not to wage war. …It’s right to avoid battles without certain victory. Did you not see that magic… earlier?”

Everyone nodded at those words. Silence followed. After a long while, someone asked again.

“What would happen if he fought against Lord Evan?”

“…Lord Evan would win. Obviously.”

“Huh? Brother? Did you just hesitate? For about 0.0173 seconds. Amazing. To think that a response from the mouth of a brother loyal to Lord Evan wouldn’t come within 0.0001 seconds?”

“…I was just momentarily distracted.”

Though he said that… in truth, the man at the front had been thinking about nothing but that white-haired boy since leaving Lanciel City.

‘I made the wrong judgment. Even if it meant insubordination… even if it meant all of us dying, I should have killed him.’

A sharp regret pierced his chest.

Remembering the silver arrow that kid had shot, he felt a chill run down his spine, and a sense of foreboding.