The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 354

A name given to something that exists, yet does not exist.

The Ring of Nothingness.

A clash of contradictory concepts: existing while not existing.

If an ordinary person were to hear this argument for the first time, they would surely be scratching their heads.

‘No, what the hell does it mean to exist and not exist at the same time?’

They would probably curse inwardly.

“No matter how much I read and research, I can’t understand what it means to exist and not exist at the same time.”

In fact, even Mimir doesn’t understand it, so that says it all.

“If only I could interpret this part…”

Mimir looked at me with a helpless expression.

She had said she would read through all the books within a day and understand 100%, but the fact that she couldn’t understand the most important concept was embarrassing.

“It’s understandable. That concept is so difficult that even Tei-nim doesn’t fully understand it.”

“…It’s even more annoying to be treated the same as him.”

Mimir’s expression crumpled even more.

I had meant to comfort her, but it seems I chose the wrong words.

“Anyway… I’m sorry. I barely made a month, and now I’m making you stall again…”

Mimir’s expression softened, and she sighed.

She seemed to feel sorry for not being able to help.

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

There’s no need for her to feel sorry.

“I already understand that concept to some extent.”

Mimir’s eyes widened.

“Why are you so surprised? Is it that surprising that I know something you don’t?”

“No, it’s not that I’m looking down on the Successor…”

Mimir trailed off with a strange expression.

“The information about the 8th Circle was just unlocked, right? That means the Successor also learned about this concept for the first time yesterday.”

“Right?”

I learned about the eighth Infinity Circle for the first time yesterday.

“That means you understood that difficult concept in just one day? How can I not be surprised?”

Mimir chuckled in disbelief, even after thinking about it again.

“How were you able to understand it? I really don’t have a clue.”

“Well…”

How did I understand it?

“It’s not like I understood it the moment I saw it.”

It’s a concept so difficult and complex that even Mimir couldn’t understand it.

How could I understand it at a glance?

“I just knew a similar concept from before.”

The reason I was able to immediately understand the uniqueness of the eighth Infinity Circle was because I already knew a concept similar to that uniqueness.

“There’s a similar concept?? To this difficult concept? What is it?”

A light of interest flickered in Mimir’s eyes.

She seemed intrigued that something else with such a difficult concept existed.

“Mind Sword.”

“…Mind Sword?”

But that expression was only for a moment.

The emotion of interest soon disappeared from Mimir’s eyes.

“Not magic, but a sword?”

“Yeah. It’s a concept from the swordsman side.”

“Oh. I see.”

A lukewarm expression.

She has no interest in things like swords.

‘…Are all geniuses like this?’

For some reason, Terun-nim’s face overlaps with Mimir’s face.

It’s exactly the same expression Terun-nim makes when talking about swordsmanship.

As if they weren’t geniuses, they’re even the same in that they have no interest in anything outside of their own field of interest.

“Successor. Did you learn swordsmanship?”

“No. I didn’t learn it. I just studied it a bit.”

“You’re saying you only approached it academically?”

“Exactly.”

“…Hmm.”

Mimir’s eyes lit up again.

She seemed to have regained some interest in the mention of an academic approach.

“An academic approach to swordsmanship. Interesting. In the Empire era, swordsmanship was only seen as a product of the body and senses. We never approached it academically.”

“Really? That’s unexpected. I thought you would have approached it that way at least once.”

Mimir smiled bitterly.

“Well, I actually tried to analyze it academically…”

She seems to have a lot on her mind.

“…I was scolded and stopped.”

“Scolded?”

“Yeah.”

“By whom?”

“By my retainers.”

“Why?”

Is there a reason to be scolded?

“They said it was a desecration of sacred swordsmanship.”

“…Huh?”

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

“You don’t understand, right? Actually, I still don’t understand it either.”

Mimir smiled bitterly.

“They just said that swordsmanship only exists as swordsmanship. Why should they listen to an outsider who doesn’t know anything?”

“…A mere retainer said that to the princess of a nation?”

That’s more shocking.

“Ah, of course, I didn’t hear it directly. I just heard that they said that.”

“Even if you didn’t hear it directly, if that kind of talk was conveyed to you, it means they said it openly, right?”

For that to reach the princess’s ears, it’s the same as saying it in front of her.

In the Empire era, where most of the power was concentrated in the king, that was a kind of blasphemy.

At the very least, they would be removed from their position.

In the worst case, they could have been imprisoned for a major crime.

“You endured that after hearing those words?”

“…I had to endure it. You know? My position was a bit like that at that time.”

The only successor who couldn’t use magic.

Mimir was practically treated as a non-person during the Empire era.

“Even so, a mere retainer ignoring a princess is a matter of national prestige.”

This isn’t just Mimir’s problem.

Ignoring Mimir is the same as ignoring her father, Ray Bell Vaitener.

This is a matter of national prestige.

“Did your teacher stay still after hearing those words?”

“…Given Father’s personality, he wouldn’t have stayed still if he had heard it.”

Mimir’s head tilted slightly downward.

“But, Father was on an expedition at that time. He couldn’t have known.”

“After he returned? Didn’t you tell him directly?”

“…No. I didn’t say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t want to punish that retainer.”

“Why?”

“That retainer. If you only heard what I said, he would sound like a bad person, but he wasn’t that bad. He just had a bit of an authoritarian side.”

“Even so, after being insulted like that…”

To let it go after being insulted like that.

“And… he was the strongest knight in the Empire.”

Mimir smiled bitterly.

“I couldn’t afford to reduce our forces during that chaotic time.”

“That’s…”

That time.

It must be referring to the time of the war with the Four Nations led by Veil Stole.

“If Father had heard it, he would have kicked that retainer out without question… That was something that shouldn’t have happened.”

Mimir forced a smile.

“It wasn’t just for the Empire, but also for me. If that retainer had been kicked out because of that, I would have had to turn all the knights into enemies.”

So she just let it go.

No, she had no choice but to let it go.

That’s what she meant.

“…I see.”

It was an infuriating story.

“So, after that, I lost interest in swords.”

It’s so absurd that I can only laugh in disbelief.

“It’s not really something I should say to someone I don’t know well, but you’re really stupid.”

“…Stupid?”

“That’s right. If you, Mimir, had seriously analyzed and developed swordsmanship, it would have definitely evolved to another level. But you kicked it away because of some petty stubbornness.”

Her stupidity is sky-high.

Within the category of academics, Mimir’s talent is unparalleled.

What if Mimir had seriously delved into swordsmanship?

I can say with certainty.

Swordsmanship would have evolved beyond comparison to what it was before.

“That’s why you didn’t even reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.”

If that had happened, someone might have appeared in the Empire era who had reached the level that Sein-nim had reached.

And if such a person had appeared, they might have been able to completely deal with Veil Stole at that time.

“Ah, I’m really angry. What kind of people are they?”

Why were the people of the Empire so dismissive of Mimir?

I can’t understand it no matter how hard I try.

“If that retainer was in front of me, I would have punched him right in the face.”

“Successor…”

Mimir looked at me with an emotional expression.

Her eyes were quite moist.

“…Thank you.”

It was a greeting filled with sincerity.

“No need to thank me. I just stated the facts.”

I took a deep breath.

I could feel the anger leaving with my breath.

“That, um…”

Mimir looked at me with a strange expression.

She was grateful that I was angry for her sake, but also felt sorry for making me angry.

That’s what her expression seemed to say.

“Ahem.”

Mimir coughed awkwardly, with an obviously forced expression.

“The conversation went off track because of me. So, what’s the connection between that Mind Sword and this Circle of Nothingness?”

A forced topic change as much as her forced actions.

I want to do something about this hopeless atmosphere first.

That was the intention behind her expression and actions.

“…Right. We were talking about that.”

But well, in this situation, it was an appropriate topic change.

It was also a moment when a change in atmosphere was needed.

“I mentioned it briefly before, right? While you were asleep, Sein-nim entered a realm higher than Mind Sword…”

I slowly began to talk about the connection between Mind Sword and the eighth Infinity Circle.

“I was greatly impressed by that sword, so I studied it in various ways. And then I discovered a law…”

My story continued for about an hour.

* * *

The next day.

After finishing my training, I left Danteora’s study and was on my way to the research lab.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

I met Soonchan.

“…Save me.”

As if he had been waiting for me, he was squatting on the path from the mansion to the research lab.

“I don’t want to die at this young age.”

“…Huh?”

His expression was desperate.

It was as if he was being threatened with murder.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Mimir tilted her head slightly, looking at Soonchan.

She had no idea why Soonchan was reacting like this.

“I don’t know either…?”

I couldn’t understand it either.

“Hey. Hasn’t he been in this research lab for the past two days?”

“That’s right.”

It’s not like he was walking around outside and met the Black Magic Tower guys and had his life threatened.

He’s been in the research lab, so why is he reacting like this?

I don’t know.

“Aslan was with him too. There shouldn’t have been anything dangerous.”

*Flitch!*

At that moment, Soonchan’s shoulder trembled.

It was exactly the moment Mimir said the name ‘Aslan’.

“Aslan Polohamruin.”

Soonchan’s body trembled even more.

“Aha.”

“I see. It was faster than I thought.”

Mimir and I exclaimed at the same time.

We realized why Soonchan was in this state.

“This guy. He couldn’t handle Aslan’s hell training and ran away.”

Mimir clicked her tongue and said.

“It’s only been two days. He can’t even handle that and runs away.”

Mimir shook her head.

“Only two days…?”

Soonchan raised his head and glared at Mimir.

“…Huh?”

Mimir flinched.

“Princess.”

Empty eyes.

“Do you know?”

All the vitality had disappeared from Soonchan’s eyes.

“Two days… is a long time.”

“That… uh…”

Is that what a person who has fallen into the abyss of despair and is about to give up on life looks like?

Mimir was flustered.

She didn’t expect him to have such an expression.

“Two days is not a time that can be described as ‘only’.”

“Uh… that’s right. It’s long. Um.”

“Would you apologize for saying ‘only’?”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I think I misspoke.”

Mimir seemed to be pushed back by his momentum and apologized.

It didn’t seem like Mimir had anything to apologize for, but she was pushed back by his momentum.

‘Well, Soonchan’s atmosphere is so ominous.’

It’s understandable that Mimir was overwhelmed by his momentum.

“Is it that hard?”

“Ha, hard?”

Soonchan laughed with a blank expression.

“I wonder.”

It was like looking at a burnt-out tree.

“What… is ‘hard’?”

‘Ooh…’

The degree of mental breakdown is considerable.

It seems that Aslan-nim’s special training was quite difficult.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen his mental state this broken.’

Soonchan’s mental state is easily in the top 1%, but he broke it in just two days.

What kind of training did he do?

“What kind of training did you do?”

“Training?”

Soonchan scoffed.

“That’s not training. It’s closer to torture than training…”

That’s when it happened.

“You’re being dramatic.”

Aslan-nim appeared.

After a long period of operation, he must have entered a cooldown state for a while, and now he’s back in operation.

“Ha, dramatic?”

Soonchan snorted.

“If that’s dramatic, then death is dramatic.”

Aslan-nim sneered.

“Hmm. So, you’re saying you’d rather die than receive training?”

“Yes. You understood correctly.”

Soonchan fell backward.

“I can’t do it! No, I won’t do it! To do that training for another six months… I’d rather die!”

He’s throwing in the towel.

He’s absolutely not going back.

Soonchan’s will was firm.

‘It must be really hard.’

He’s someone who endured my hell training, but he became like that in just two days.

“Aslan. How much did you push him?”

Mimir glared at Aslan.

‘Even if you push him, you should do it moderately.’

Mimir’s eyes were saying that.

Aslan-nim casually ignored Mimir’s gaze and focused his attention on Soonchan.

“Hmm. You’re saying you can’t handle it. To meet the deadline, I have no choice but to maintain this level of intensity…”

Aslan-nim stroked his chin, still wearing a sneer.

“If that’s the case, then there’s no choice. I’ll lower the intensity of the training.”

Soonchan’s face brightened.

“That’s an excellent choice! Right. The current training is too much…”

“However.”

Aslan-nim’s expression turned cold.

“If I lower the intensity of the training, in six months, when the scheduled catastrophe arrives, you will be of no help.”

“…Huh?”

Soonchan’s expression hardened again.

“You won’t be able to protect Shin Hayul and Adela Steart, let alone your family and your beloved. You’ll only be able to watch your friends die in front of you at the hands of Veil Stole’s subordinates.”

“…”

Soonchan’s eyes trembled violently.

“But. If you follow my training properly. In six months, when that day comes, you will…”

A different light shone in Aslan-nim’s eyes.

“You will be the best mage who will not lose to anyone. I guarantee it.”

“That… is…”

It’s shaking violently, like an earthquake.

“Choose.”

The two made eye contact.

“Is it hardship for the future, or comfort for the present? I will follow your choice.”

“…”

Soonchan bit his lip.

“Choose…”

As if he had made a decision, the light returned to his eyes.

“There’s only one choice from the beginning.”

Soonchan’s eyes no longer trembled.

“Yes. I understand.”

The sound of Soonchan’s teeth grinding echoed continuously.

“I’ll just die now. What’s the big deal? I’m not really going to die.”

A man who can exert more strength when he’s moving for his friends and family than when he’s moving for himself.

That was Ji Soonchan.

“I knew you would say that.”

A truly touching sight.

If someone who didn’t know the situation saw it, they would be moved by Soonchan’s determination and Aslan-nim’s faith.

But from my perspective, knowing everything, it wasn’t a very touching scene.

‘Successor. Aslan is selling him a lie, isn’t he?’

Mimir whispered in my ear.

‘…Yeah. He’s selling him a lie.’

Forget the touching part.

Soonchan is just a pitiful victim being scammed.

Even if the training intensity is lowered a bit, it won’t make that much of a difference.

There will be some difference, but it’s not like he won’t be able to do anything, as Aslan-nim said.

Soonchan is just being deceived, immersed in the keywords of family and friends.

“Now. Let’s go back to hell.”

“Yes, yes. Let’s go. Let’s go.”

Ji Soonchan, a sucker who doesn’t know he’s being scammed.

He embarked on a journey to become a voluntary sucker.

“…”

“…”

Mimir and I lowered our heads quietly, watching Soonchan and Aslan-nim leave.

“Poor guy…”

Mimir mourned Soonchan with a pitying gaze.

“Still, if he endures it all, he’ll be really strong. Good luck.”

In six months.

I was also looking forward to seeing Soonchan’s appearance.

What would Soonchan look like after completing all of Aslan-nim’s hell training?

“Six months later…”

Whatever the reason, Soonchan had made up his mind.

Once he’s decided, Soonchan will never give up.

“I need to work harder too.”

I need to work harder to not lose to Soonchan.

I also renewed my determination.