The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 343

The Rebirth of the Mythical Archmage-344

Leaving Soonchan alone in the lodging, we headed towards the furniture factory.

“Wait a minute.”

Mimir’s expression suddenly turned sharp.

“Why?”

“…I think I felt a gaze from that direction.”

“A gaze?”

I looked in the direction Mimir was staring.

In the distance, a tall building stood out, offering a good view of the entire village.

“Are you talking about that building?”

“I don’t know the exact location. But, the direction is definitely that way.”

“…Is that so?”

I immediately activated my Divine Eye to its maximum output.

Of course, I activated it to the maximum level that I could handle without any strain.

If I used Resonance, I could activate the Divine Eye to a level higher than now.

But doing so would drastically reduce my magic output for a while.

I can’t use Resonance.

‘Well, I should be able to manage without using Resonance.’

With the activation of the Divine Eye, my vision changed.

The colors of the world that were once ordinary became extraordinary.

The colors emitted by mana began to engulf the world.

I focused on the color combinations emitted by mana and examined the tall building Mimir was pointing at.

“There’s nothing there?”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s clean. There are no traces of anyone staying nearby.”

If someone had been observing us from that location, the color of the mana in that vicinity would have changed in an unusual way.

Mana has the property of changing its nature according to the surrounding environment.

It would have changed in some form or another.

But the rooftop of the building was very natural.

The probability of someone being there converges to 0%.

“Really? That’s strange… I definitely felt a gaze though….”

Mimir tilted her head slightly, adding quietly, ‘Was it a mistake?’

“Adela Sterett. Do you feel the same?”

Mimir called out to Adela, who was also staring at the rooftop of the tall building next to me.

Adela turned her gaze to where Mimir and I were standing.

Adela’s eyes were tinged with gold.

Her eyes had turned gold due to the activation of her Mind’s Eye.

Just now, when I activated my Divine Eye to scan the building.

Adela must have activated her Mind’s Eye as well to scan the building.

“Yes. I don’t see anything.”

Adela shook her head.

“…Is that so?”

Mimir frowned, a strangely uneasy expression on her face.

“Then, was I really mistaken?”

Her expression didn’t suggest she thought it was a mistake at all.

“I’ve made us delay a bit because of me. Sorry. Let’s keep moving.”

Since both me and Adela said there was nothing, she was just pretending to agree so as not to complicate things.

Mimir was convinced that someone had been watching us from that location.

That expression was telling.

“Okay. Let’s move.”

I observed Mimir’s expression and started walking again.

Adela followed behind me.

‘If Mimir is so sure… then she must have really felt a gaze.’

Mimir’s senses are sharper than I imagined.

I don’t know what she was like before, but the current Mimir has senses that are sharper than mine.

With the choker’s detection ability combined with my senses, she has gained almost superhuman senses.

For Mimir to be so sure, it means that someone was really watching us.

This is not an issue that should be dismissed as a simple mistake.

“What about Elena?”

Although not as good as Mimir, Elena also has senses that surpass mine and Adela due to the sensory amplification from the choker.

Elena might have felt the gaze like Mimir.

“No. I didn’t feel any gaze.”

Elena shook her head.

“But I don’t think Mimir is mistaken. Mimir has always been sensitive to the gazes of others. In the past, she even felt the gaze of an assassin who was more than 3km away.”

Elena looked at me and Mimir in turn with a serious expression.

“If the choker is amplifying our senses, and if the Mythical Magic, Persona, is embodying our characteristics from our past lives….”

“It means that the gaze Mimir felt is likely real.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Elena’s expression became even more serious.

I probably had a similar expression to Elena’s.

“If that’s the case, it means our movements are being observed by the enemies.”

If someone was observing us at this timing, it is highly likely to be the unidentified force conducting experiments inside the Rid Furniture Factory.

It’s safe to assume that our actions are being read.

“…Then, isn’t Soonchan in danger?”

Adela’s expression also became serious.

“Now that they know we’ve left, if they move to deal with Soonchan first….”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

As Adela said, if our actions are being read, there is a high chance that Soonchan will be the target of a concentrated attack.

But that’s all.

He will just be the target of a concentrated attack.

Soonchan won’t be in danger.

“Because he can just use the Octagonal Gate to escape.”

“Ah…!”

Currently, Soonchan is fighting while having sealed his Octagonal Gate series, which is like his identity.

To use a game analogy, it’s like playing chess without controlling the rook and bishop.

If something happens, he can just move the bishop and rook.

“That’s right. You don’t have to worry about Soonchan. At least he’ll be safe until Aslan falls asleep.”

Aslan is with Soonchan right now.

Aslan is supplementing the attack power that Soonchan has lacked so far.

Unless Aslan shuts down, nothing will happen to Soonchan.

At least, unless it’s a great mage of the 8th circle or a top-tier swordsman of the Qi level [a level of martial arts mastery], it’s impossible to defeat the current Soonchan.

Of course, Soonchan wouldn’t be able to win either, but he would be able to buy time and escape.

“What we need to worry about now isn’t Soonchan, but us.”

Elena’s voice lowered coldly.

“If the enemy was really watching us….”

“There might be a high-level mage or a high-level swordsman waiting for us, someone that neither I nor Adela can sense.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Elena nodded, expressing her agreement.

“Of course, I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat Hayul in a 1:1 fight right now… but the place we’re heading to is the enemy’s base. Their home turf. Considering the geographical disadvantage, there’s a possibility that something might happen.”

There is a chance, however small, that we might be in a dangerous situation.

That’s what she meant.

“Elena, you don’t have to worry about that.”

At that moment, Adela spoke in a rather bright voice.

“Even if there is an unknown strong person that we can’t sense, they won’t be able to do anything about my and Hayul’s teamwork.”

Adela’s eyes were shining brightly with confidence.

“Besides, Elena and Mimir are with us now, right?”

“…Hey, Adela Sterett. Why is Elena ‘nim’ [a respectful honorific] and I’m just Mimir?”

“Uh… just because?”

Adela answered nonchalantly.

Her expression suggested that she just felt like she should call her that.

It was like Jang Geum [a famous historical figure known for her straightforwardness] saying a persimmon is a persimmon.

“Wow, look at her. She’s trying to be on par with the princess. The world has really changed.”

Mimir fanned herself with her hand, looking dumbfounded.

Seeing Mimir like that, Adela tilted her head again.

“Huh? Um… yes. The world has gotten better.”

“…Huh?”

Mimir was speechless at that answer.

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

Her expression showed that she didn’t expect that kind of answer.

“?”

Adela tilted her head the other way.

Her expression showed that she couldn’t understand Mimir’s silence.

“Wow, seriously. I’m speechless.”

Mimir chuckled, looking deflated.

“Did I do something wrong…?”

“…No. It’s nothing.”

Her expression showed that she was not in the mood.

She was trying to tease her with a joke, but the reaction was lukewarm, so she felt deflated.

“?”

“Never mind, just run.”

“Yes.”

Adela focused her gaze forward again, with question marks all over her head.

“…There really is a natural wonder like her.”

Mimir looked at Adela as if she were a rare animal.

“Isn’t it fun?”

“…A little?”

Her expression showed that she was a little interested in Adela.

From my perspective, they were two people I thought would be good to be friends with, so it wasn’t a bad reaction.

“We’re almost there.”

While I was thinking that.

Elena’s cold voice was heard.

She was observing her surroundings with an even colder expression than her voice.

“The traps… I don’t see any for now. It doesn’t seem like there are any ambushes either.”

Her expression was a little surprised.

“That’s strange. I thought there would definitely be traps prepared.”

Elena looked at Mimir with a strange expression.

“…Was I really mistaken?”

Mimir tilted her head again.

If the gaze Mimir felt was correct, there should have been some kind of trap prepared.

It doesn’t make sense to observe us so secretly and not set up any traps.

The fact that there are no traps at all means that the unknown person who was observing us does not exist.

“It’s still too early to say. They might have prepared something inside the factory.”

“That’s true, but….”

Even so, it doesn’t make sense for the entrance to be so empty.

It’s as if they don’t even know we’re coming?

Mimir’s expression was saying that.

“Let’s go in for now.”

Elena urged us to go in.

“Yes. Let’s go in.”

We were delayed by about 2-3 minutes while sensing earlier.

It would be best to hurry as much as possible.

“Hold on.”

I held out my hand to Adela.

“Yes.”

Adela took my hand.

“Mimir, just in case, I’ll leave it to you.”

“This much is easy. Leave it to me.”

Mimir closed her eyes.

I closed my eyes along with Mimir.

In the world shrouded in darkness.

Only my mana and Mimir’s will filled my senses.

And the next moment.

My voice and Mimir’s voice overlapped, manifesting as one magic.

‘Umbra.’

‘Umbra.’

My and Adela’s bodies began to seep into the shadows.

* * *

“…I think I was mistaken after all?”

About 5 minutes after infiltrating the Rid Furniture Factory.

Mimir, who had been focusing all her attention on exploration, opened her mouth for the first time.

“It’s too sloppy.”

Her expression was dumbfounded.

Beyond being dumbfounded, her expression showed that she regretted being so tense.

“…It seems like it was a mistake. There’s no way an organization with people who are so skilled at stealth that Hayul and Adela couldn’t even notice them would have prepared such sloppy traps.”

Elena’s expression was not much different from Mimir’s.

Her expression showed that she was deflated in many ways.

“…“

Adela was the same.

If I had known it would be like this, it would have been better to leave this place to me and help Soonchan.

That was the expression she was making.

“This… we can handle this ourselves without having to ask Commander Charles to gather evidence.”

The place we are currently in is the deepest part of the laboratory.

It is the most important facility where the data of the research conducted in this facility is gathered.

All that’s left is to extract the data from here and get out.

“…This is really anticlimactic.”

Mimir chuckled again.

She had infiltrated with so much tension.

It took less than 5 minutes to get to the deepest part, so it was understandable that she felt deflated.

“Let’s finish this quickly and leave. Being here makes me feel more annoyed.”

Mimir approached the main computer of the laboratory with a blank expression.

“We just need to copy all the data here, right?”

“Please.”

Mimir placed her hand on the computer and closed her eyes.

The computer turned on at the same time.

Various codes flashed across the monitor in an instant.

“You can do that too.”

Adela exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

“Can you do it too, Elena?”

“No. I can’t.”

Elena shook her head.

“Since the choker’s performance is the same, I should be able to do it in terms of performance….”

The reason Mimir is currently able to access the computer and copy the data is because the choker I am currently wearing has a performance that overwhelms other computers.

It is an access using the overwhelming performance difference of the choker, so Elena, who has the same choker, should also be able to do it.

But.

“I’m not as skillful as Mimir, and I’m not as smart either.”

This is just a matter of performance.

If you go into more detail, the story is a bit different.

“…?”

Adela looked at Elena with an expression that said she didn’t understand what she meant.

She didn’t seem to understand Elena’s words at all.

“Um… how should I explain this?”

Elena smiled wryly.

Her expression showed that she didn’t know how to explain this situation.

“Think of it by comparing a hacker and a supercomputer.”

I started explaining instead of Elena.

“Let’s say there’s a super hacker with the best abilities in the world and a supercomputer with the highest performance made by that hacker.”

“…Yes.”

“If someone gets their hands on that hacker’s supercomputer, can anyone hack like that hacker?”

“Ah…!”

Adela exclaimed, her expression showing that she understood what I meant.

“That’s Elena’s situation right now. The choker’s performance itself is amazing, but she hasn’t yet learned how to fully utilize the choker’s performance.”

“In short, it’s like a pearl necklace on a pig. I’m ashamed.”

Elena smiled bitterly.

“A pearl necklace on a pig?”

Adela waved her hands in surprise. Her expression showed that she didn’t think so at all.

“There wouldn’t have been computers or AI magic in that era… I think it’s natural that you don’t know.”

Elena smiled kindly at Adela.

“No. It’s true that it’s a pearl necklace on a pig. That’s because….”

Then she slowly turned her gaze towards Mimir.

“Mimir. That child is actually doing it, right?”

“Ah….”

Adela’s eyes widened.

She seemed to understand how absurd what Mimir was doing was.

“Isn’t she amazing? She clearly didn’t know anything about computers or magic engineering, just like me and Aslan.”

Her expression showed that she couldn’t help but feel proud, admirable, and loving towards Mimir.

“That child. She memorized all those complex formulas and laws in just 3 hours, you know?”

“3, 3 hours…?”

“Yes. 3 hours.”

She was excitedly bragging about Mimir, like a mother bragging about her daughter.

“Lately, I keep thinking. How much of a waste did the people of the Empire make?”

The codes changed tens or hundreds of times per second according to Mimir’s hand gestures.

Elena stared at those codes and said with a somewhat angry expression.

“Just because she can’t use magic, they abandoned such a child… a genius with talent that could surpass Ray in some ways.”

“Abandoned… someone like that?”

“You don’t understand, do you? I don’t either.”

Elena’s face darkened.

Her expression showed that she was greatly regretting something.

“What if that child was born in this era instead of the Empire era?”

I answered that question.

“If Mimir was born in this era… it’s obvious.”

The world where magic is no longer just a matter of senses and effort.

An era where magic through calculation, analysis, and data is the main focus.

“In the near future. This era would be called this.”

Modern magic is no exaggeration to say that it is a magic system that exists for Mimir.

“‘The Era of Mimir.’”

Mimir’s talent was meeting the right discipline and evolving anew.