Xenophobia (2)
Chapter 20
A day had passed since Alesya left.
After sending off the bridge with a letter attached, I sat quietly and pondered.
The situation was tangled up in ways that were quite dire, but regret wouldn’t solve anything.
David wanted Luna. Judging from the circumstances, it didn’t seem like he intended to take her as a disciple.
What choice should I make to protect Luna from the 6th Circle High Mage, David?
Should I entrust Luna to the Count and ask him to prevent any contact with David?
It might delay the problem for a short while, but that’s not a solution. There are also mages within the Count’s household besides David.
They don’t pledge loyalty to the Count like knights do. The relationship between the Count and the mages is closer to a simple employment contract.
This is something I overlooked due to my ignorance, but now I understand. If Luna’s talent becomes known to the other mages in the Count’s house, they too will reveal their true colors and start scheming.
Moreover, David will likely want to monopolize Luna initially, but if that proves difficult, he won’t hesitate to rally support and share stakes just to get his hands on her.
Once word about Luna spreads, the magic towers across the empire will surely intervene.
By some stroke of luck, perhaps a sane Archmage might appear to protect Luna, but…
“Haha.”
That assumption was laughably unrealistic.
Why did I firmly insist on severing ties with Alesya? Because the situation could escalate to extremes far too easily.
“Well, what…”
First things first.
“Let’s kill him.”
How to dispose of the aftermath can be figured out after the deed is done.
“The question is how to kill him.”
Should I confide everything in Jimy and Matthew and persuade them to help me protect Luna?
That would be a foolish decision.
Luna hasn’t even properly entered the world of magic yet. She’s still at the stage where her unrefined talents occasionally manifest. Unless someone has undergone proper enlightenment, it’s hard to intuitively grasp her value.
Even if they realize how extraordinary her talent is, she’s still just ‘another person’ to everyone here, including Ray.
No one, not Jimy, Matthew, or even Philip Count, would oppose a 6th Circle High Mage, let alone an entire Magic Tower, for the sake of a commoner child abandoned by her parents, no matter how exceptional her latent abilities might be.
They wouldn’t make such a reckless choice, no matter what compensation was offered.
Only I was willing to risk my life for that child.
No matter how dark my intentions may be.
“Assassinating a high-level mage with a Spatial Blade…”
No matter how much I thought about it, the probability of failure was too high.
To succeed with a Spatial Blade assassination, I’d need to generate a Sword Aura from a safe distance, and David would have to remain stationary.
There are Expert Knights within the Baron’s Territory, so David might dismiss the presence of a Sword Aura as trivial.
However, even if the Sword Aura hits its mark, killing him instantly would be almost impossible. David would certainly be prepared for ambushes, and the Artefacts he carries would undoubtedly be engraved with defensive spells.
The penetrating power of a Sword Aura diminishes significantly once it leaves a metallic blade. To pierce through a high-level mage’s defenses, I’d need to layer the Sword Aura at least four times, minimally speaking.
Currently, I cannot control the delay when the Sword Aura leaps through space. The odds of all four randomly leaping Sword Auras converging on David simultaneously would be around 0.002%, if that.
If the attempt fails, David will immediately try to evade, rendering the assassination unsuccessful. It was an impractical gamble, not worth the risk.
“…Harshia. They said he was a hero over 600 years ago.”
I stood up and changed into cleaner clothes. I needed to visit the Holy Order.
*
There was no way a proper library existed near the Baron’s Territory. The place with the most books nearby was either the Manor or the church.
“Ray! It’s been a while since you visited the church!”
Sister Adel greeted me warmly in her nun’s attire. I bowed slightly and entered the church.
Adel knew I had little interest in prayer or religious activities. My visits to the church were generally because I needed books.
“What kind of book do you need today?”
“Um…”
I asked in a seemingly innocent tone.
“I came to learn more about Lord Harshia.”
“Harshia! He was a great hero indeed.”
Adel smiled warmly and helped me find books related to Harshia. There were six fairy tale books for children and three history books, making a total of nine volumes documenting Harshia’s exploits.
The history books contained calm accounts of Harshia’s achievements, while the fairy tales featured various versions of his adventures.
Even among the historical records, there were many contradictions regarding Harshia’s deeds.
He was a figure from over 600 years ago, after all. There was no way to distinguish fact from fiction in the books.
Nevertheless, all the books agreed that he controlled a massive spirit and covered the land in ice.
“Did Lord Harshia know how to use magic?”
“Ice magic… or Freeze magic, as some call it? It’s said he always brought coldness with him in battle.”
“But I heard Lord Harshia was a Sword Master…”
“He was a Magi-Knight who could wield both sword and magic.”
“Are Magi-Knights common?”
“Knights and mages alike can create Circles and Cores. They are people recognized for their talent in manipulating mana.”
After pondering for a moment, Adel added,
“However, generating two mana cores within the body is inefficient and dangerous. Circles and Cores have opposing properties, making them incompatible and complicating control.”
In my opinion, attempting to operate both Core and Circle simultaneously was indeed foolish. Yet Harshia had learned magic—specifically Freeze magic.
Why? Was it simply because he was talented enough to handle both without issue?
If not, could Freeze magic somehow relate to the interpretation or completion of Spatial Blades?
“Magic…”
I glanced down at my chest.
I wasn’t born with a Circle, nor did I ever consider creating one.
Unlike the relatively simple structure of a Core, the Circle, often referred to as a mana operator, far exceeded my knowledge and intuition.
“Should I give it a try?”
The ability to artificially create Circles is exclusive to mages. Simply circulating mana around the heart doesn’t create a Circle.
However, artificial Circles ultimately mimic those naturally born with them. I knew one person who possessed a Circle with a radius exceeding three meters.
“Is it possible to replicate it?”
If I had the talent to observe someone else’s Circle and reconstruct its structure, I would’ve defeated the Demon King myself long ago.
Since I lacked the talent, I had to resort to tricks.
Seizing the opportunity when Adel stepped away, I headed toward the archive where precious books were kept.
On the top shelf, a book dyed crimson like blood caught my eye. I opened it right there.
It was an extremely valuable book inscribed with Rune characters.
Among the church’s collection, this was the only book adorned with Runes. I couldn’t read or understand Rune characters.
I couldn’t fully accept the fact that these scribbles resembling a child’s doodles were connected to the fundamental workings of the world. So, I decided to force it.
Blood vessels burst in my whites, and tears of blood began to fall.
Simultaneously, the world turned red, and the childlike doodles inscribed in the book transformed into an omnipotent voice piercing my mind.
[Flames. Scorching. Judgment. Irreversible. Black Ash.]
“Damn.”
With intense headaches, I averted my eyes from the Rune-inscribed book.
This decoding ability was difficult to use effectively. Fundamentally, it placed immense strain on the brain.
The strain lessened the deeper my understanding of the phenomenon I sought to decode. But phenomena I understood deeply enough to endure the strain rarely required the use of this ability.
Ultimately, the decoding ability was only useful when double-checking problems I’d already solved.
“They’re all burdensome.”
Swordsmanship and abilities alike.
While part of it was due to my lack of proficiency, it felt like something was fundamentally off.
“Still, I should give it a try.”
After returning the book, I bid farewell to Adel and headed to the orphanage to examine Luna’s Circle. Just then, a bridge flew down from the sky.
Piiik!
I untied the letter from the leg of the bridge perched on my shoulder.
It was a reply from the Count.
[Ray.
Although it isn’t to my liking, if you wish to meet Lord David, I can arrange an opportunity for you.
However, it’s currently impossible. Lord David has left due to urgent matters. He’ll be gone for about a month.
If your resolve hasn’t wavered by then, please reach out again.]
The paper crumpled in my tightened grip.
“David, you’ve made up your mind.”
David was hiding his whereabouts from even the Count to secure Luna without any interference.
This made it impossible to preemptively strike him.
All I could do was wait anxiously for David to come to me.
At first glance, defense seemed advantageous, but setting traps against a well-prepared high-level mage would only serve as an early warning.
“…Let’s think positively.”
If I manage to kill a mage tomorrow, I’ll gain a month to deal with the aftermath.
Ray crushed the paper bearing the Count’s reply and released the bridge.
