The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 5

5.

As the long summer ended, the autumn sky unfolded in clear, vibrant hues, painting the world with the warm colors of autumn foliage.

The gentle rattling of the carriage lulled me into a pleasant drowsiness.

Outside the window, the rich fragrance of the vividly colored fields stretched to the horizon. Autumn had truly arrived.

“You must behave politely, Rain.”

“I know. It’s a meeting with Grandfather, after all.”

“I’m sorry. If I had been more capable, I wouldn’t have had to bring you to a place like this.”

“Knowing is enough.”

“……?”

“……?”

“Th-that’s right. Yes.”

The boy was surprised to see Keyvan smile awkwardly.

*Is this not how I should answer?*

The boy activated his extraordinary mind at lightning speed, retracing his memories with Rista. *What would Rista have said in this situation?*

*I don’t know…….*

Right now, his mind couldn’t process things quickly due to the encroaching drowsiness.

Even with the intellect of a great mage, he was only eleven years old.

He couldn’t overcome the physiological responses of a young body.

“You must be tired. Rest comfortably during the journey. It’s a five-day trip.”

Within the Divine Human Empire, there are five margrave families in each region, and each of them serves five magical houses.

The Warden Margrave family in the East.

The Keppel Margrave family in the West.

The Blado Margrave family in the North.

The Page Margrave family in the South.

And the Ludwig Margrave family, to which the boy belonged, served Sion, the Duke King of the Central region, the most abundant in resources.

The margraves granting positions to outstanding court mages was the beginning of the magical houses, and only the magical houses among the count families used the title of margrave.

However, the Page Margrave family, the leading magical house, is an exception, but let’s explain that later.

The carriage crossed Siasthulica, the territory of the Ludwig family, and finally arrived at the Duke King’s city, Silvane.

“Wow…….”

It was truly a beautiful city.

Every district of the city was divided into seven sections, each radiating its own light in the autumn sun, like the colors of the rainbow.

For example, the district where the Duke King’s fortress was located was purple, and the district where the education zone was formed was indigo.

Keyvan took the boy to the Silvane Magic Academy, the magic school where his father was stationed. His father was in the middle of a lecture.

“How is it? Do you want to take a class too?”

“I prefer the lessons I receive from Father.”

A pure answer without any ulterior motives, an answer from a son who was already focused on the lecture.

*This kid…….*

Keyvan felt a lump in his chest at that answer.

“Are there any students with questions?”

When his grandfather, Scalge Ludwig, put down his chalk and asked the question, Rain raised his hand. Keyvan tried to stop him, but Scalge spoke first.

“What is it?”

“I’m curious why you used the ‘section’ rune. If you use the ‘thorn’ rune, you can use mathematical formulas more simply and increase the power. There’s also the ‘testicle’ rune besides the ‘thorn’.”

At that, surprise spread across Scalge’s face, and the students who were taking the class stared blankly at the boy.

“Amazing. That was supposed to be taught in the advanced section, ‘Application of Runes and Abbreviation of Mathematical Formulas’.”

“……?”

“……?”

“Since family members have come to visit, I’ll end today’s lecture here. The teaching assistant will summarize the lecture content, and you guys come with me.”

‘You guys’ referred to the boy and Keyvan. As the father and son followed him into the hallway, Scalge glared at Keyvan.

“Are you still doing that?”

“I want to explode with anger right away, but I’m enduring it for the sake of this brilliant grandson’s face.”

“It was Brim who gave birth to this brilliant grandson, Father.”

Scalge was a robust old man with a strong impression and a straight back even in his old age.

The prestige of a proud mage was alive in his entire body, and the magic he unconsciously emitted was quite welcoming even to the boy.

Scalge was one of only ten Glads (4-star mages) in the empire.

“Yes, how can he be smarter than his incompetent father and even seem polite? I like him. You can go now. Didn’t His Royal Highness the Duke King want to see you anyway?”

At that instant, why was it? Why did he get involved in such an everyday conversation?

“Father is not incompetent. He is a good father and teacher.”

Was it because of the memory that came to mind on that first day riding in the carriage, when his father smiled awkwardly?

– Lord Rista, why are you taking such a young and immature child?

– There are six more skilled individuals besides that child who are Glads (4-star) mages.

– That’s right. Isn’t he uncooperative and too arrogant?

They were familiar gazes and remarks.

To an orphan boy who had lived his whole life in eyes of jealousy…… At that time, Rista Alter Schirpheng smiled and stood in front of those gazes.

– Lynn is the best mage. He is neither immature nor uncooperative.

– ……?

– He just doesn’t know yet. He can learn from now on.

The voice that said that at that time still remained deep in his memory. He also had the desire to do the same for someone someday.

“…….”

“…….”

Keyvan’s eyes welled up, and he felt a heavy pain piercing one part of his chest.

Scalge turned to the boy, met his firm gaze for a long time, and suddenly smiled.

“Do you think I don’t know that? He’s my son, the most proud thing in the world.”

“Father……?”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you that I don’t need you, so get out of here?”

“……I understand.”

“But don’t run away to the mansion. After confirming Rain’s aptitude, let’s have a drink together for the first time in a while.”

“……!”

“Now, you come with me.”

Keyvan bowed deeply towards Scalge’s back as he took Rain’s hand and walked down the hallway.

A smile shone in his grandfather’s eyes, and tears flowed from his father’s eyes.

The boy thought.

*Could this also be a gift from Rista? If he hadn’t met her, would he have even thought of such a thing?*

– You can do it. Lynn is a kind child.

The boy, who had excellent abilities as a great mage but lacked the capacity for emotional connection, took another step towards becoming a sage today.

* * *

“So, how did you know about the combination of runes and the rearrangement of mathematical formulas?”

Scalge’s study was simple.

Only necessary furniture was arranged, and all documents were neatly organized.

*It’s really different from me.*

In the past, Lynn’s laboratory and Rain’s current room were always cluttered with books and documents…… The boy answered.

“I read a lot of books.”

“A lot?”

“A lot, a lot.”

“Hahahaha!”

It was difficult to explain how, but Scalge laughed heartily and stroked the boy’s head until it was a mess.

“Actually, there was no need to ask. Your father boasted so much about you…… He said you’ve already mastered the theory of 3-star magic, right?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

*I can’t say it, but I actually have a grasp of up to 5-star magic.*

“And I heard you came to me to awaken Bell Querious.”

Bell Querious.

The absolute magic eye meaning ‘piercing perception’ in the language of the gods. Scalge was one of the awakeners who proudly engraved his name in the family’s history.

“How much magic power do you have now?”

“I can barely perform high-speed calculations for one 3-star magic, Grandfather.”

“You can perform high-speed calculations for 3-star magic?”

Scalge’s eyes widened.

It might be necessary to explain the concept of ‘high-speed calculation’ that mages talk about.

Magic that draws a magic circle somewhere and fills it with runes and mathematical formulas to activate it is not called ‘high-speed calculation’.

When all those processes are performed by mental arithmetic rather than written calculation, it is called high-speed calculation.

Up to 4-star mages, the rank is upgraded when they can calculate more than twenty-four magics of the corresponding rank, but in order to reach the rank of 5-star mage, that is, great mage, they had to be able to ‘high-speed calculate’ seven 5-star magics.

“This is amazing. No, it’s even embarrassing. It’s amazing that you use 3-star magic at the age of eleven, but high-speed calculation…… Has there been a precedent?”

Strictly speaking, there was. The great mage Lynn had acquired the rank of 3-star at the age of eleven and 4-star magic at the age of thirteen.

It is a realm far higher than other great mages.

“Then try using it once.”

“Here?”

“Yes, here.”

“The room will be smashed to pieces.”

“It’s okay.”

“Everything will be messed up because of the wind pressure.”

“It’s okay. I’ll get rid of it before that happens.”

Scalge showed a meaningful smile.

*Get rid of it……?*

Even though he was flustered, the boy spread out his palm. Ultra-precise formulas are instantly calculated in his head, changing the providence of this world.

*The shape of the magic circle is three fan shapes. The runes to be engraved are Yu [兪 – Supple], Ju [駐 – Reside], Je [制 – Control].*

To explain, it is to engrave three traits on wind attribute magic.

A cold chill ran through him as if a cold thread was piercing through his blood vessels, and the flow of magic power swirled, causing all the furniture in the room to creak.

“Heo…… It was true.”

The moment Scalge muttered that, a chilling cold swept through his entire body, his hair stood on end, and cold sweat broke out.

*Eh……?*

What is this?

It disappeared, the magic disappeared, the entire magic circle…… He didn’t even activate it, but it’s not like I stopped it either?

“Don’t panic. Didn’t I say I would erase it?”

The boy, who had blankly raised his gaze, felt fear once again.

Redly glowing eyes.

The silver-white seven-pointed star engraved there.

When he faced the eyes that saw through everything in this world, even the intellect of the great mage felt primal fear.

“This is Bell Querious. It allows you to freely control all abilities you see.”

But the fear soon turned into thrill, and the thrill turned into elation.

Why wouldn’t it?

That infinite power would soon become his own, and the boy let out a cheer that was unlike a great mage.

“W, wow!”

“Hahahaha! Do you want to try using it too?”

“Yes!”

The seven-pointed star scattered from Scalge’s eyes, and the burning light in his eyes subsided. Cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“Of course, it’s not invincible. The caster must also perfectly understand the magic in order to release or transform it.”

“But it’s so cool!”

“And it requires an enormous amount of magic power than you think. As someone who shows symptoms of magic power exhaustion with just one 3-star magic, you still have a long way to go.”

Many of Ludwig’s descendants feel the wall right here and become frustrated. They judge that they cannot overcome the wall and give up.

“It’s just far away, right?”

“Hmm?”

“Being far away doesn’t mean you can’t go, does it?”

But the boy was different.

All exploration was a pleasure for the boy, and the pleasure of overcoming that wall of knowledge was indescribable.

“So please teach me how to go that way, Grandfather.”

The moment the boy answered confidently, the corners of Scalge’s mouth almost tore to both ears.

“My education will be very difficult.”

“Education should be like that, of course.”

“Hahahaha! You are truly my bloodline! Brim, I must convey my thanks to that child. To give birth to such a brilliant child!”

Even a hedgehog thinks its own baby is pretty, and I thought my son’s words were a vain exaggeration.

But it was a misjudgment.

This is a gem. Not just a simple gem, but perhaps it could shed new light on the stagnant magic of the empire…….”