The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 17

I was so engrossed in reading Idred’s book all night that it was already morning.

“…Ah, is there no next page?”

The next page is now blank.

I want to read more, but I can’t.

Could there be anything sadder than this?

“3rd Circle…”

To read beyond page 31, my level needs to be at the 3rd Circle [a level of magical proficiency].

[If you have perfectly entered the realm of ‘Resonance,’ touch page 210 and move your mana according to the principles of resonance.]

[That is the page of the second test.]

[Be warned that if your resonance is even slightly lacking, the second test page will not activate.]

And to reach the 3rd Circle, I need to refine the resonance, the mark of a 2nd Circle master, to its limit.

“How long will it take?”

I want to challenge the second test page right now, but unfortunately,

I haven’t mastered resonance yet.

No, not even mastered, I haven’t even grasped a proper clue.

‘To organically connect the ring of the mind and the ring of resonance…’

The theory is definitely ingrained in my head, but I have no idea how to connect them.

It’s like having two different engines in front of me and being told, ‘Okay, now combine these engines.’

I don’t know what to do.

‘I really need to do some research on this.’

There are still some ambiguous theories, so I need to investigate this more thoroughly.

I should start by searching the library.

‘Ah, I need to go to my part-time job first.’

The current time is 11 AM.

It’s time to go to work.

Now that I’ve returned to the Mado family, the financial pressure is gone, so there’s no reason to keep doing the part-time job.

However, I must fulfill the work I agreed to do in advance with a sense of responsibility.

‘And to say my final goodbyes.’

With that, I left the dormitory for my last part-time job.

* * *

“Then, see you next time!”

“Hayul, bye~ Have a great time at school~”

“Yes. I’ll see you again next time.”

10:20 PM.

After finishing my last part-time job and having a late dinner with my colleagues, I was on my way home.

As I walked, enjoying the relatively cool breeze of early May, I encountered an unexpected person in front of a convenience store near the dormitory.

“Adela?”

“Ah.”

Adela Sterett.

Did she just stop by the convenience store? She was holding a bag labeled CS24 in one hand.

“Hello.”

Adela bowed her head.

“Late-night snack?”

“No. I, uh, forgot to eat dinner…”

“Ah, I see. You were so focused on studying magic that you missed dinner.”

“…Yes.”

Adela blushed as if she was embarrassed.

“I often forget too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sometimes when I find a good old book, I get so engrossed that I don’t realize it’s dawn until I notice.”

“Right, right?”

Adela nodded as if she completely agreed.

“But you’re better than me. If I miss dinner, I just skip it because I’m too lazy.”

Delivery food is prohibited in the dormitory, and the only way to have dinner late is to go to a convenience store.

I usually skipped dinner because I was too lazy to go out.

…And also because I didn’t want to spend the money.

“You shouldn’t do that. You need to eat properly.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t eat, your brain will become stiff, your muscles won’t grow, and you’ll have nutritional problems, which is critical during the growing teenage years.”

“…”

She’s right.

Especially at our age, skipping meals often is not good.

It’s true, but…

“Aren’t you the last person who should be saying that?”

I don’t want to hear that from someone holding a plastic bag of convenience store food at 10 PM.

“I at least make sure to eat, even if it’s late.”

“…That’s something to be proud of.”

Both of us are the same.

When I chuckled, Adela smiled softly.

“Would you like one?”

Then, she took out a banana milk from the bag and handed it to me.

“Thanks.”

Adela took out the remaining banana milk and inserted a straw.

Then, she drank it slowly, as if savoring it.

She looks very happy.

“Do you still only drink this?”

“Yes. It’s the best drink humanity has ever created.”

“Is it really that great of a milk?”

I won’t deny that it’s delicious.

I also inserted a straw and enjoyed the artificial sweetness.

“Were you just in the dormitory all weekend?”

“Yes. I had a lot to do, including reviewing the mid-term evaluation videos.”

“It’s not because your family said something, is it?”

“That too.”

Since I’ve known Adela since childhood, I know what her parents are like.

They must have nagged her a lot for losing to me in the round of 16.

Adela stayed in the dormitory because she didn’t like that.

“I heard you… went home.”

“Yeah. I went for a bit yesterday.”

“Are you returning to the Mado family?”

“I already did.”

Adela’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

I don’t know if she’s making that expression because she’s surprised or happy.

Her expressions are so unchanging except when it comes to magic that I can’t tell.

“…That’s a relief.”

“It is a relief. I was worried about how to handle the huge expenses starting from the second year.”

From the second year, practical training increases, so there are huge costs for textbooks and equipment.

It’s definitely not an amount I can cover with my part-time job.

I’m so relieved that this has been resolved.

“Is your dream… still to become the head of the Mado family?”

“Why are you asking out of the blue?”

“No. I just… remembered something you said before.”

Something I said before?

“Did I say that?”

“Yes. Just in passing.”

“…Did I?”

I don’t seem to remember.

Was it such a fleeting moment that I don’t remember?

“If it’s an intrusive question, you don’t have to answer.”

Adela immediately retracted her words, as if she took my silence as a sign of discomfort.

“No, it’s not intrusive.”

It’s not like my dream is something to be ashamed of.

There’s no reason to hide it.

“Well, it’s changed a bit since then.”

“…Changed?”

Adela seemed a little disappointed.

“So… have you compromised with reality?”

“Huh?”

“Since becoming the head of the family is difficult, you’ve set a more realistic goal…”

“Wait a minute.”

I knew what Adela was thinking.

“It’s the opposite, the opposite.”

“Opposite?”

“Yeah. The reason I said my goal changed isn’t because I compromised with reality.”

“Then…?”

Looking at Adela, who was tilting her head, I said confidently.

“My goal is higher. Becoming the head of the Mado family is just a stopover now.”

“A stopover?”

“Yes. A stopover. A place to pass through.”

My dream is not just that.

“To become the head of the Mado family, the best mage, and stand above all the magic towers. That’s my ultimate goal now.”

Adela’s eyes widened.

She looked noticeably surprised.

“To place all the magic towers below you. That’s a goal beyond imagination.”

Then, she smiled as if she was very happy.

“It’s a bit difficult for me to follow, as someone who’s following you…”

It was a smile that showed she couldn’t wait for what was to come.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time.

At the Mado family mansion.

Shin Jihan and Shin Se-ah were talking to each other.

“Even so, I didn’t expect this.”

Shin Jihan, sitting with his legs crossed on a chair, tapped the side of the chair with his index finger.

It’s a habit Shin Jihan often does when organizing his thoughts.

“…Don’t interfere with Hayul?”

Shin In-hyuk ordered his children, including Shin Jihan, not to interfere with Shin Hayul.

The reason was that Shin Hayul was still a minor and had not been back in the family for long, so he was not ready to join the heir competition.

He also had a one-year gap, and he needed at least two months to adjust to the family.

That’s what Shin In-hyuk said.

But even the dogs of the Mado family know that this is just a nominal story.

“Why did he say that?”

Shin In-hyuk would not have excluded him from the heir competition for such a reason.

Give him a grace period because he hasn’t been back for long and is a minor?

If it were the usual Shin In-hyuk, he would have said that creating a one-year gap was a situation caused by a lack of qualifications as an heir and that he should endure it.

The same goes for being a minor.

Being protected because you’re young is only until you’re 17, before you have an artificial intelligence imprinted [a common practice in this world].

Shin Hayul, who is 18, is outside that range.

“Oppa. Surely Father hasn’t designated Hayul as the heir, has he?”

Shin Se-ah said with a serious expression, biting her nails.

Shin In-hyuk’s actions now were clearly showing favoritism towards Shin Hayul.

There could be no such special treatment unless he intended to make Shin Hayul his heir.

That’s what Shin Se-ah thought.

“No. That’s not it.”

But Shin Jihan’s thoughts were a little different.

“If that were the case, he would have acted overtly from a year ago. There’s no reason for him to do this now.”

Even a year ago, Shin In-hyuk favored Shin Hayul, but he didn’t designate him as the heir.

Has Shin In-hyuk now designated Shin Hayul as the heir?

It’s not impossible, but it’s not very likely either.

“Then what is it? Why did he suddenly tell us not to interfere with Hayul?”

Shin Se-ah asked irritably in a sharp voice.

“First of all, I think Father saw something in Hayul.”

“Something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have my father’s eyes.”

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Mado family was brought to this position entirely thanks to Shin In-hyuk’s keen eye.

“Anyway, I think he saw some potential and decided that he needed to watch him a little more. That’s the judgment he made.”

Shin In-hyuk also favored Shin Hayul, so he might have been a little more lenient.

“Because Hayul’s magic system is unique. He might have developed a desire to watch him a little more.”

Mages are all explorers.

Especially high-ranking mages like Shin In-hyuk, such tendencies are even more pronounced.

He might have been intrigued by Shin Hayul’s unique magic system.

“Or…”

A different light flashed in Shin Jihan’s eyes.

“Hayul might have offered Father some kind of deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“I don’t know. As I said, this is just a guess.”

Shin Jihan shrugged.

“Hayul’s return to the family is too fast, and this two-month probation period is too. It doesn’t seem like Father made the decision alone. That’s what I think.”

It’s too fast and too decisive.

There’s a high probability that Shin Hayul was involved in this matter.

“Or what.”

Shin Jihan crossed his legs the other way and clasped his hands behind his neck.

“Maybe it’s all three.”

“…What’s that?”

Looking at Shin Se-ah, who had a frustrated expression, Shin Jihan smiled brightly.

“Anyway, the sure thing is that Father hasn’t decided to make Hayul the heir.”

Even though it was a bright smile, it was a smile that felt strangely uncomfortable.

“Well, it’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do. We have no choice but to watch for about two months. We can’t afford to be disliked by Father.”

“…Ah, it’s annoying. I guess I have to tell all the kids I was going to use for surveillance to come back?”

“You can keep them if you’re confident they won’t get caught by the Shadows.”

The Shadows.

Shin In-hyuk’s direct intelligence unit, a dark organization within the Mado family.

They are capable of everything from infiltration to intelligence gathering and escorting.

It’s impossible to keep an eye on Shin Hayul while bypassing their surveillance network.

“…Ah, it’s really annoying.”

Shin Se-ah frowned hysterically and picked up her phone.

“It’s me. I’ve decided to stop monitoring Hayul. Stop everything you were preparing and withdraw.”

Shin Jihan turned away from Shin Se-ah and moved to the window.

‘…Two months. Se-ah is one thing, but it’s a bit much for even me to do nothing.’

If Shin Hayul did offer Shin In-hyuk a deal with some purpose, as Shin Jihan predicted, he shouldn’t be left free like this.

‘Should I make a request to the Black Tower?’

The Black Tower would be able to handle it well while avoiding the eyes of the Shadows.

‘And even if I get caught, there won’t be any evidence that I did it.’

The corner of Shin Jihan’s mouth curled up into a smirk.

It seems like I’ll have to use the secret line today for the first time in a while.