The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 152

“Magic that can recreate myths…?”

Recreating myths.

It wasn’t a phrase that immediately resonated with me.

“Are you saying it’s magic with incomparably greater power and output?”

All the figures appearing in myths possess powers so immense they defy human comprehension.

Like Ray Bell Vaitern, my master, for example.

Roland Polaine, the swordsman who parted the sea.

Rain Holier, the tamer who could control all the monsters on Earth.

Serena, the spiritist who mastered spiritism [a now-lost art of communicating with spirits], to the point of controlling all ten spirit kings.

The power of figures in myths is so great that it defies common sense.

Therefore, recreating myths likely means recreating their immense power.

…Or so I thought.

“Hmm. You’re not entirely wrong, but it’s a bit different.”

It seems I was off the mark.

“It’s true that Mythic Magic has great power and output. But that’s just a kind of side effect.”

“A side effect…? You mean the great power and output are just bonuses that come along with it?”

“Exactly.”

Mimir slowly approached me and took the robe of my master that I had been holding.

Then, she grabbed it by the shoulders and spread it out.

“Well, I said side effect, a bonus, but there are Mythic Magics that maximize power alone. Not many, though.”

Mimir observed the robe, touching it here and there.

“It seems there are quite a few types of Mythic Magic.”

“Yeah, there are many. Ray alone used 17 types of Mythic Magic. And he hadn’t even mastered them all.”

My head tilted slightly.

Even my master hadn’t mastered them all?

How could that be?

“My master was the founder of the Vaitern style, wasn’t he? How could there be Mythic Magics he hadn’t mastered?”

If my master had been a successor of the Vaitern style, I could understand him not mastering all the Mythic Magics.

But my master was the founder of the Vaitern style. The origin of the magic.

All magic originated from my master. There shouldn’t be any magic he hadn’t mastered.

If there were magic he hadn’t mastered, it would mean there was someone who used Mythic Magic before my master’s time.

In other words, it would mean my master wasn’t the founder of the Vaitern style.

“It’s not that Ray wasn’t the founder of the Vaitern style. There’s another reason for this.”

“What reason?”

Mimir immediately began to explain.

“Mythic Magic is magic that uses a medium.”

“A medium?”

“Yeah. Before Ray’s time, even in our time, it’s magic that uses the relics of an era called ‘myth’ as a medium… Would that be hard to understand?”

Records that were considered myths even in my master’s time.

“Are you talking about myths like the Earth God Gaia…?”

“That’s right. You know about it?”

Records of an era when magic didn’t exist still remain in modern times.

A prime example is the myth of Gaia, whom I just mentioned.

The Earth God, known as the mother of the earth, who is said to govern the earth.

Though it varies by text, there are also traditions that say she created the earth herself.

“It just so happened that among the relics of myth that Ray obtained, there was also a relic of Gaia. It was a mana crystal in the form of a rock.”

Mimir neatly arranged the robe and hung it on the back of the sofa.

“Ray used that rock to create magic. And that’s how the third Mythic Magic, Primitiæ-Terra, the first earth, was born.”

Myths and the mediums of myths.

And the magic created by combining that medium with the Vaitern style.

“So, in short, it’s fusion magic. Magic that fuses relics from myths that existed from the beginning with the Vaitern style that my master created.”

“Fusion magic… That’s a good way to put it. I just call it magic that recreates myths as magic.”

“That’s the accurate way to put it.”

Magic that recreates myths.

After hearing all the explanations, there was no more accurate way to put it.

‘But…’

Magic that recreates myths.

I still don’t fully grasp how amazing that magic is.

I know it’s amazing, but it doesn’t quite sink in, so to speak.

“If you can’t grasp it, think of the permafrost.”

“Why the permafrost?”

“The permafrost is a byproduct of Mythic Magic.”

“…A byproduct of Mythic Magic? The permafrost?”

“Yeah. The permafrost was created based on Mythic Magic made using the relic of Skadi, the god of ice, as a medium.”

Mimir extended her index finger.

“It’s magic created by taking just 1% of the fragment.”

“…1%?”

That power was created using just 1% of a fragment?

That’s absurd.

“How is it? Does it make more sense now?”

“…Yeah.”

It suddenly hits me.

The permafrost is magic that used a 1% fragment of a relic.

“Of course, it’s not like the original Mythic Magic is 100 times more powerful than the permafrost, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I know.”

In magic, such calculations cannot be simply expressed numerically.

You can see that just by looking at how artifacts are made.

There isn’t a 100-fold performance difference between putting in 100 rare materials and putting in 1.

“Anyway, Mythic Magic is this amazing. That’s what I’m saying.”

“I understand.”

Now I understand very well why Mimir called my magic ‘fake magic’ or ‘something like magic’ in the past.

If Mythic Magic is considered ‘real magic,’ it’s natural that my magic would be called fake magic.

“Can you use Mythic Magic right away when you reach the 6th Circle?”

“You can use it now if you want. There’s one Mythic Magic you can use from the 5th Circle.”

“Oh… You can use it now. How can I learn it?”

I’m itching to learn Mythic Magic right away.

“First, you need to get a medium.”

“A medium?”

“I told you, Mythic Magic is magic that recreates myths using a medium. You need a medium to use it.”

“Did you mean that I actually have to possess it?”

I thought you forged the medium into magic, but it turns out it’s magic that you can use simply by possessing the medium.

“Where are the mediums?”

“That’s…”

Mimir shrugged.

“I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah. As time has passed, they must be scattered somewhere.”

“Weren’t they stored in Mimir’s Well or Idred’s Grimoire?”

“Successor. Have you forgotten why we couldn’t even put information about the Divine Eye in Idred’s Grimoire?”

“Ah. That’s right. Processing capacity…”

There are limits to what can be stored inside Idred’s Grimoire or Mimir’s Grimoire.

There’s no way there would be enough processing capacity left to store something as obviously amazing as a relic from myth, a medium.

“So, to use Mythic Magic, I have to start by finding the medium first?”

“Exactly.”

“…That’s a bummer.”

I thought I could use Mythic Magic right away.

To think I have to find a medium to use it. I feel a bit let down.

“Of course, there’s a way to find them, right?”

I don’t think my master would have just left such precious mediums unattended.

He must have prepared a way to find them.

“Of course, I’ve prepared it. You don’t have to worry about that.”

As expected.

“Okay. Then it’s fine.”

If there’s a way to find them, I just have to find them.

“Oh, and I said we couldn’t store the mediums because of processing capacity, but there’s actually one medium stored in Idred’s Grimoire.”

“…There is?”

“Yeah. There’s one medium for Mythic Magic that even a 5th Circle successor can use, stored on the fifth trial page. You can get it if you pass Aslan’s training.”

“Oh…”

It’s like a starter pack.

It’s like saying that since Mythic Magic has been unlocked, they’ll provide one for now, like in a game.

“And one more thing.”

Mimir picked up my master’s robe, which she had taken from me earlier and hung on the sofa.

“You can also experience Mythic Magic through this robe. This magic is also a derivative of Mythic Magic.”

I wasn’t particularly surprised by that.

I already knew that the robe was related to ‘real magic,’ that is, Mythic Magic.

“The real name of this robe is [Aeth]. It’s an artifact made by taking fragments of the sixth Mythic Magic, ‘Aer,’ and the eleventh Mythic Magic, ‘Aitas.'”

The name Aeth was derived from the ‘Ae’ of Aer and the ‘th’ of Aitas.

“The effect is…”

Mimir smiled and handed me the robe.

“It’s no fun if I explain it, so try using it yourself and feel it.”

I received the robe.

“How do I use it?”

Even if you tell me to use it, I don’t know how.

“Put on the robe and move your mana as if you’re chanting.”

“Move my mana as if I’m chanting… I’ll try.”

As Mimir said, I put on the robe and moved my mana.

I quickly rotated the fifth Infinity Circle, the Ring of Truth, and moved my mana according to the mysteries of chanting.

At that moment, mana surged from my master’s robe, ‘Aeth.’

“Listen carefully. Aer is a god who governs space. The Mythic Magic that uses that medium is naturally magic that manipulates space.”

“…Space.”

The surge of mana began to intensify.

“The reason why the outer and inner layers of the robe are maintained even when you turn it inside out is because the space of the outer and inner layers of the robe is fixed.”

“…Ah.”

That’s why.

“And Aitas is a god who governs time. The Mythic Magic is naturally magic related to time.”

“Space and time?”

“Amazing, right?”

Mana surged like an explosion.

It’s as hot as if this robe were a bomb.

“With the action of those two fragments, the robe has gained the power to transcend space and time.”

Flash-!

At that moment, the robe shone brightly.

As if rewinding a video.

The appearance of the robe began to change as time flowed backward.

The old, worn-out reddish-brown outer layer soon began to emit a brilliant red color.

The dust disappeared, the worn-out parts disappeared, the wrinkles disappeared, and it emitted a brilliant light.

“This is…”

The shabby robe had become a luxurious, splendid red robe.

I just chuckled as I observed the robe here and there.

So this was the original robe.

“Put your hand inside the inner layer of the robe.”

“Put my hand in here?”

I blankly followed Mimir’s words and put my hand inside the robe.

“… !”

And at that moment, my hand turned cold.

I was startled by the sudden sense of incongruity and pulled my hand out.

“What was that feeling just now…?”

A strange feeling that I can’t describe.

I grabbed the robe and looked inside. There’s nothing there?

“Heh heh.”

Mimir chuckled as she looked at me.

“Haven’t you noticed yet?”

“…What is this?”

Is my reaction that funny? She’s laughing as if she’s having a lot of fun.

“Okay. Then try putting this in and see.”

Mimir handed me a pen that was on the table.

I’ll do as she says for now. What’s the point?

I immediately received the pen and put my hand back into the robe.

“Ugh.”

This time, I felt that unknown sensation again, and goosebumps ran down my spine.

However, this time I didn’t pull my hand out. I kept my hand in and focused on the sensation.

‘What is this sensation?’

I feel a coldness as if I put my hand in a refrigerator, but I don’t actually feel cold on my hand.

It’s cold but not cold.

This strange sensation is the first time I’ve ever felt it.

What is this sensation?

“It feels like you put your hand in a space where there’s no oxygen, light, or sound, right?”

“Ah! Yes. That’s exactly how it feels.”

Mimir’s words were accurate.

It feels like putting your hand in a space where there’s nothing.

I’ve never experienced it, but is this what it would feel like to put your hand in space?

“Put the pen down there and take your hand out.”

“Put the pen down? Why?”

“Quickly.”

“…? Okay. I understand.”

I did as Mimir said, put the pen down, and took my hand out.

Then, I slowly lowered my gaze.

Since I had dropped the pen, it should naturally fall to the floor.

That’s what I expected and lowered my gaze.

“?”

But contrary to my expectations, the pen didn’t fall to the floor.

“What is it?”

I clearly dropped the pen, but it should have fallen. The pen had disappeared as if it had never been there.

I grabbed the robe and looked inside, but I couldn’t find the pen.

“Heh heh.”

Mimir’s laughter grew louder.

She looked very happy with my bewildered expression.

Whether Mimir laughed or not, I was focused on finding the pen.

Then it suddenly occurred to me.

‘…Wait a minute. You said this is an artifact made using fragments of magic that manipulates space and magic that manipulates time, right?’

That means.

I slowly put my hand back into the robe.

“Mimir, this can’t be…”

“Too bad. It was cute. You already noticed?”

Mimir smiled regretfully as she looked at me.

“…”

In my hand, which I took out of the robe again, was the pen that had disappeared earlier.

“That’s right. Aeth. The inside of that robe is connected to another space-time.”

An impossible magic that is not even among the seven major challenges of modern magic.

A fantasy magic that only appears in stories.

“…Is subspace magic enchanted on it?”

A fantasy magic that connects space by twisting the time axis.

Subspace magic.

“Yeah. Aeth is the one and only artifact with subspace magic engraved on it.”

My master’s robe, Aeth, was more insane than I had imagined.