The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 388

As the first trial gate vanished, a passage to the Green City appeared.

A sophisticated passage with a prominent green color, befitting the name ‘Green’.

“Successor! You passed! You were incredibly fast!”

Mimir jumped up and down in the center, expressing her joy.

“Well, this modification is a masterpiece among masterpieces. Maybe my father in his prime could have stopped it, but a 7-circle master wouldn’t have had a chance! Hmm!”

If Mimir’s current expression were to be described in a four-character idiom, it would be ‘self-praise’ [自画自賛 – a Japanese idiom meaning to praise oneself].

She was very triumphant.

“…Wow. It’s real?”

At that moment, Soonchan’s voice was heard from behind.

I turned around to face the direction of Soonchan’s voice.

Soonchan, followed by Adela, Elena, and Aslan, were looking at me with various expressions.

“You have a real knack for this… How did you know that was Hayul’s mana earlier?”

Soonchan looked at me and Adela alternately, with an expression of utter amazement.

Judging by his words, it seems that when I succeeded in modifying the Mythical Magic and scattered mana a little while ago,

only Adela noticed that it was my mana.

“I was also unsure. If the mana hadn’t told me, it would have been hard to be certain.”

“Anyway, you noticed that something was subtly different.”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“…Is it?”

Looking at the flow of the conversation, it seems my guess was correct.

‘It is amazing. To be able to distinguish that.’

The moment Mimir and I succeeded in modifying the Mythical Magic was when the dragon’s mana was released again.

By using the residual mana emitted by the dragon, we were able to complete the current Mythical Magic.

‘Since it was magic used with the dragon’s mana, it must have had a structure so similar that it would be hard to compare it to a dragon.’

To be able to distinguish that.

It seems Adela’s sensing ability has evolved even further.

I wonder if she might surpass my sensing ability at this rate.

“Jisoonchan. Following that brat, even you…”

Aslan looked at me with a face as if he had bitten into a bug.

“See? I told you both could succeed in a week, right?”

On the other hand, Elena’s expression was very bright.

So bright that I wondered if the sun would bow its head before Elena right now.

“…”

Aslan’s expression hardened even more. His expression towards Elena was full of annoyance.

“Aslan~ You have to answer, right?”

“…What do you want me to answer?”

“That I was right. That I was wrong. You have to answer clearly. That was the bet, wasn’t it?”

“Why are you changing the conditions as you please? The condition of the bet was not to argue with each other’s words.”

Through their conversation, I could roughly understand the situation.

Elena had won a bet involving Soonchan’s achievement.

“Oh my. Was it?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Hmm… I guess it was. Okay. I’ll let it slide.”

“It’s not about letting it slide, it’s the original agreement…”

“Aslan. Don’t argue.”

“…”

Aslan gritted his teeth. He frowned with an expression that there could be no greater humiliation.

“Why are you only like this at times like this…”

With that expression, he glared at Soonchan, who was standing blankly beside him.

He glared with such intensity that it seemed like lasers would shoot out of his eyes, filled with all the resentment in the world.

“So, the trial of the Luminescent Magic Stone Cave. Soonchan, did you pass it too?”

Elena’s words that she won the bet meant that Soonchan had passed the trial of the Luminescent Magic Stone Cave in a week.

Adela, maybe, but Soonchan passing in a week?

Is it a miracle?

“…Hey. Why are you specifically asking only me?”

Soonchan said with a grin.

His eyes seemed to be asking, ‘What about Adela?’

“Adela is capable enough to pass.”

“…Ah. So it’s natural for me not to pass?”

Soonchan’s smile deepened.

It was an expression that seemed to say, ‘Go ahead and say more.’

“To be honest… yeah. I thought it would take at least two weeks, no matter how fast you were.”

“This bastard…”

Look at this bastard, so confident.

Soonchan’s face was saying just that.

“Ha. Fine. I, the great one, will have to endure.”

Soonchan snapped his fingers with an arrogant expression.

His triumphant expression was quite disgusting to look at.

“Man. I’m not the same me you knew anymore. I’m a genius who passed the trial of the Luminescent Magic Stone Cave in a week. Genius Soonchan.”

“…Gen… what?”

“Genius~ Soonchan~ Shortened to Jisoonchan.”

He rolled his pronunciation as if he was fluent.

“Wow…”

For a moment, I had the urge to punch him.

He was so annoying and disgusting.

“Just you wait. I don’t know what the next trial will be, but next time, I’ll overcome it faster than you.”

“…Okay. Do your best. I’ll cheer you on.”

For a moment, I was about to say something, but I decided to let it go.

Right now, Soonchan is in an invincible state, so no matter what I say, it won’t have any impact.

The more I talk, the more I lose.

In times like this, it’s better to just agree and move on.

“It’ll be hard to pass faster than Hayul, though?”

At that moment, Adela interjected.

“It seems Hayul has achieved much greater growth than we have. The next trial might be too much to keep up with.”

Adela looked at me with a dazed expression.

Her eyes were filled with wonder, admiration, and curiosity.

“How do you know that?”

Soonchan asked.

“I just… it seems that way.”

Adela’s eyes took on a deeper hue.

“The density of mana. The solidity of the circle. The stability of the rotation. Everything has evolved one step further than a week ago. No…”

Adela paused for a moment, lost in thought, then started speaking again.

“It’s like… you were wearing ill-fitting clothes, and now you’ve finally found the right ones.”

“…!”

Mimir, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, gasped in surprise.

Her expression seemed to say, ‘What is she?’

She seemed surprised by Adela’s sensing ability.

“…You can see even that?”

“Yes. I can see it.”

I must be making a similar expression to Mimir.

The words ‘wearing ill-fitting clothes, and now you’ve finally found the right ones’ perfectly reflected my current state.

To be able to see through that in an instant. I was genuinely surprised.

“It’s a strange feeling. The previous mana didn’t seem like ill-fitting clothes either. But now, after seeing the changed mana, I think, ‘I was just forcing myself to fit the previous mana.'”

Is she looking into my mind?

I feel like I’ve been stripped bare.

“The metaphor is so accurate that I have nothing to refute.”

I gave a wry smile.

The expression was so accurate that I couldn’t say anything back.

Certainly, the Mythical Magic I had been handling until now was a ‘similar to Mythical Magic’ that fit the expression ‘ill-fitting clothes’.

“I’m embarrassed. To think I was so confident that this mediocre thing was a new evolution of the Vaitener style…”

My face flushed for a moment.

It felt like I was showing everyone the evidence of my dark history.

“…Ah, damn it. I’m so embarrassed.”

In fact, Mimir’s face was very red.

As the person who modified the first Mythical Magic with me, it was natural for her to share the embarrassment.

“Really… I want to hide if there’s a hole.”

No, Mimir seems even more embarrassed.

As a scholar rather than a magician, it must be a little more shameful.

Because she confidently said that a failed research was a success.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Failure is a part of success. Be proud. If you reach the goal of success with one failure, it’s very fast.”

Elena’s words were full of sincerity.

She seemed to be saying that she genuinely thought we were admirable.

“…”

Next to her, Aslan clicked his tongue softly.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t retort because of the bet.

That was his expression and reaction.

“I’m looking forward to it. What will the Mythical Magic that Hayul and Mimir created look like?”

Elena was only looking at us, as if she didn’t care about Aslan’s reaction.

“I’ll show you at the next location.”

“Oh my? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes. I promise.”

Elena smiled.

“New Mythical Magic…”

Adela, who had been quietly listening to our words next to Elena, murmured with a lively expression.

Her gaze towards me was unusual.

“It’s interesting. Let’s go to the next location right now.”

It was like the expression of a beast with prey in front of it.

I felt a strange sense of pressure.

She was determined to dissect and analyze my Mythical Magic thoroughly.

“Just a moment. Before we move. Let’s go back and pack our things first.”

“Ah.”

“That’s right. We need to pack.”

At Elena’s words, Soonchan reacted with an ‘oh, right’ expression.

He had completely forgotten.

“…You idiot. How could you forget such a basic thing?”

Aslan scolded Soonchan for no reason.

“No, anyone can forget. Is it something to be called an idiot for?”

“Forgetting itself is proof of being an idiot. You idiot.”

“No…”

“I won’t listen to excuses. You dullard.”

“…Ha.”

Seeing him scolding over nothing, it seems he has a lot of pent-up feelings towards Soonchan.

Soonchan… you’re going to have a hard time until you leave the Hallamanium site.

“Then we’ll be right back.”

Elena gestured to Adela to come with her.

Adela nodded and then nodded to me as well.

It was a gesture that they would be back.

“I’ll help too.”

“It’s okay. There’s not much to pack. We’ve drunk most of the water. And we’ve eaten almost all the food.”

“Ah, okay.”

If there’s no drinking water and food, there are practically no remaining items to pack.

In other words, there’s no need for me to help.

“I understand. Then I’ll wait here.”

“No. Making you wait is also a waste of time. Hayul, you go to the Green City first.”

“First?”

“Yes. I’d like to ask you to do a preliminary survey. There might be something dangerous.”

“I understand.”

Certainly, it would be more efficient to go first for exploration and to secure a base camp.

“Then I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yes. See you later.”

Elena waved her hand and said goodbye.

After that, Soonchan waved his hand slightly, and the four of them headed towards the Luminescent Magic Stone Cave.

“Then let’s go too.”

“Okay.”

Leaving the four of them behind, Mimir and I also headed towards the Green City.

* * *

Green City.

As befitting the name of a green city, the interior of the Green City was decorated like a castle.

From facilities that looked like parade grounds to restaurants, bedrooms, studies, and even bathrooms.

All the facilities that would be found in a castle were implemented.

How did they prepare all these facilities in such a remote area?

No, in the first place, it’s been over ten thousand years. How is it that it’s maintained in such a pristine state?

I had such questions and observed the structures within the castle one by one.

“This… it seems like it’s all made with magic?”

The questions I had were immediately resolved.

“Made with magic?”

“Yeah.”

The objects here are all imitations made with magic.

Everything from the walls and floors to the ceilings.

Existence born from nothing.

Things created through magic.

“Is it creation magic?”

It is presumed that they were made using creation magic, a magic that creates matter.

“…Creation magic was actually a real magic.”

“I guess so.”

Mimir also seemed surprised.

Mimir must have never seen her master use creation magic either.

“Then are the books in the study also all made with magic?”

“I don’t think so. The traces of mana are faint. They must be real.”

No magical energy was felt in the books.

The books here are real, not fake ones made with magic.

“Really?”

Mimir looked at the study with an excited expression.

It was an expression that she wanted to read the books inside right away.

“Ah. That’s right.”

At that moment, I suddenly remembered what my master had asked me to tell Mimir.

I was about to tell her right away. But suddenly, Elena and her group arrived, and I missed the opportunity to speak.

“Mimir. Your master had something to tell you.”

“…My father to me?”

“Yes.”

Mimir’s expression hardened with tension. It was like a daughter waiting for her father’s lecture.

“He said to be happy in this era.”

“…Huh?”

Mimir’s eyes widened.

She seemed momentarily flustered by the unexpected words.

“S-suddenly?”

“It’s not sudden. It’s natural for a father to want his daughter to be happy.”

“That’s true, but…”

Mimir twisted her side hair with a strange expression.

It was an expression that she didn’t know how to react.

“And one more thing.”

Looking at Mimir, I conveyed another message.

“He said that the book you desire is in the B-3 section of this study.”

“The book I… desire…?”

Mimir’s pupils trembled.

“To be happy in this era… The book I desire…”

Mimir’s mouth was half open.

“Could it be here…?!”

Mimir rushed towards the study with a desperate expression.

B-3 section.

“Not this one, not this one either… This one too…”

She quickly scanned the books displayed in the B-3 section.

After roughly scanning about 30 books,

“I found it!”

Mimir cheered.

I took out the book Mimir was looking at and checked the cover.

‘…Advanced stage of Mythical Magic?’

[List of Mythical Magic.]

[Types of Mythical Magic and the characteristics of each Mythical Magic.]

[Detailed contents and advanced processes of each Mythical Magic are recorded.]

It was written on the cover in my master’s handwriting.