The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 44

It had been over a year and a half since Renil came to the capital at Duke Zeke’s request, demonstrated the Scorpion, and then vanished. During that time, the Master of the Magic Tower remained secluded in his laboratory, never showing his face outside. Most who knew the reason understood why.

The Scorpion.

It was because of the magical weapon brought from the Terra Barrier. The Master of the Magic Tower’s private laboratory, newly prepared at his command, contained only the Master himself and the Scorpion, so the reason for his seclusion was obvious.

“To think that the work of those relegated to the fringes is such a big deal.”

“Since it’s the Tower Master, he might have seen something we didn’t.”

“So, are you saying those failures created something we couldn’t!”

“Well, ahem. Why does it sound like that? I’m just saying that even trivial things can inspire someone like the Tower Master.”

Understandably, the reaction wasn’t positive. To the mages, the Terra Barrier was like the end of the line for those without support or talent.

Their mental pillar and representative, the Master of the Magic Tower, focusing his research on the work of failures driven to the brink made them uneasy. It felt as if the achievements of those they had dismissed were equal to, or even greater than, their own.

But after a day or two, a month, then two months, even they began to wonder. What secret was hidden that made the Master of the Magic Tower focus on research for over two months?

However, there was no way to satisfy their curiosity. The only person who could answer their questions was holed up in the laboratory, not even showing his face, and even the only research material was in his hands.

As their curiosity grew, the Master of the Magic Tower, Gadel, remained immersed in research, still grappling with an unsolved problem, trying to find a clue.

‘I really don’t know.’

It had already been a year and a half since that incident, but he couldn’t even find a clue. It was quite an embarrassing result for him.

‘Where should I even start digging?’

He was a genius. A genius among geniuses. If he hadn’t possessed such extraordinary talent, he wouldn’t have been able to attain the position of Master of the Magic Tower, a role reserved for the empire’s most accomplished mage. He had never experienced frustration when facing any obstacle; even the challenges that others dedicated their entire lives to were merely slightly taller hurdles for him.

But there was a wall that he doubted he could overcome: the wall of the 8th Circle [the highest level of magic]. The emergence of a barrier that made his talent and efforts, which had transformed countless obstacles into mere pebbles, seem insignificant was a very humbling experience for him.

Until now, there was no wall that he thought he couldn’t climb. As he hesitated before this new wall, contemplating how to scale it and repeatedly making various attempts, he discovered a ladder: a magic that a mage claimed as his research achievement.

When he briefly examined the magic, he was more surprised than ever because it was a new magic with a system completely different from the magic he had been using. And on the spot, he became convinced that this was the clue to overcome the wall of the 8th Circle. However, even with his ability, the visible clue was difficult to grasp. It wasn’t simply a lack of skill.

Perspective, level, dimension.

Everything he had learned and pioneered seemed useless. Like a two-dimensional being unable to comprehend a three-dimensional one, he was simply floundering in a bottomless swamp.

After wasting a year and a half, and as the line between researching the magic as a means to reach the 8th Circle and stubbornly delving into the magic became blurred, a letter arrived from Evan, who was stationed at the Terra Barrier.

Upon reading the letter, he immediately wrote a reply, gave it to the messenger, and headed straight to the Imperial Palace. It was a golden opportunity to obtain a clue to grasp the clue.

#

The realm of the 3rd Circle is very important to mages. It was a realm where they could learn magic that had real killing power, and it was also a stage where they could confidently introduce themselves as mages to others, no matter where they went.

The reason why those who reached the 3rd Circle, not the 1st or 2nd, were treated as full-fledged mages was simple: it was the time when mages faced their first significant obstacle.

If they could overcome that wall, they could continue to grow as mages; if they couldn’t, they would never surpass it. In other words, the difference in talent to become a mage was revealed at this point. Therefore, those who overcame the wall and reached the 3rd Circle thought that the wall they had overcome was very thick and high.

However, when they became accustomed to handling the three circles and faced the fourth circle, they realized once again that the wall they had faced long ago was just a neighborhood fence in front of a fortress compared to the wall they were facing now. The hardship and sense of accomplishment they felt at that time were simply because they were young.

There was no way that wall wouldn’t appear to me. The wall clearly made the first wall I faced seem like just a brick, and even the second wall felt like a wooden fence. But if that wall felt lower than before, it was probably because I had grown even more than the wall had become thicker and higher.

Even a small fence looks incredibly high to an ant, but a person can overcome it with a little effort.

“Nineteen at the 4th Circle, twenty-one at the 5th Circle… There’s no genius like this. If the truth is known, they’ll be talking about the birth of the century’s genius.”

Without caring about the sacrifices that were made for the result of the birth of a genius, it couldn’t be helped. People tend to focus on brilliant and splendid results rather than tedious and dark processes. But at least I shouldn’t forget that my current growth was not achieved solely by my own power but as a result of the sacrifices and help of many people.

Knock-knock-

“Yes.”

“Duke Zeke has asked for you. If you don’t have anything urgent, come with me right now.”

“I understand.”

It seemed that the reply to the message I sent through Evan some time ago had finally arrived.

“You called?”

“You want to leave this place?”

“…Yes.”

A conversation with Duke Zeke that always started with the main point without an introduction. I also answered his question without making excuses.

Because I was trying to circumvent the ten-year service, one of the iron rules of the Terra Barrier, through external means. Just two years ago, he had asked me to be a shield to break the chain of malicious succession in a similar situation, so he might feel very resentful of my current choice. But even after having time to cool my head that was immersed in revenge, I had no regrets about my choice.

“There’s nothing left for me to do here.”

I thought about it a lot while taking a break, considering which path was the most correct. In a situation where I had set a goal of revenge, I had no choice but to worry about which path to take, and there were only two directions.

Should I stay here and accumulate experience in actual combat and gradually climb up, or should I accept the Tower Master’s offer in the capital and focus on training? There were pros and cons to each, so I was deeply troubled, but in the end, my choice was the latter.

It might be an arrogant and foolish statement, but I was confident that I had already accumulated enough experience to gain at my level. What I needed now was time to unleash the experience I had accumulated. If I didn’t have three years of experience, it would have been difficult to break down the wall of the 5th Circle before winter passed, no matter how much dragon’s blood I had consumed [a magical potion or substance].

In that respect, staying in the Terra Barrier had more disadvantages than advantages. I could pour more water, but my bowl was already full and about to overflow, and the environment of the Terra Barrier did not support focusing solely on training. I needed time to expand my bowl and the guidance of a teacher who could show me how to create a bigger bowl.

“If I stay here, I’ll just remain a common 4th Circle mage. I’ll be doing something that anyone in the Terra Barrier can do, even if it’s not me, and I’ll be moving further away from the revenge I’m aiming for. But if you give me time now, when I come back, I’ll be able to do things that others haven’t been able to do.”

The fact that I broke down the wall of the 5th Circle was something that only I knew so far. There was no need to make trouble by revealing it when I wasn’t even thinking of staying in the Terra Barrier. I was just going to quietly inform the Master of the Magic Tower.

5th Circle.

It certainly wasn’t a low realm. It was a realm that only the mages in charge of each squad in the Terra Barrier had reached, and it was a realm that most mages couldn’t be sure they could reach even if they ran for their entire lives. But for me, the 5th Circle was just a passing point, not a destination, so I couldn’t be satisfied and settle down like this.

“You’re arrogant. Do you think this is a place where you can stay if you want to stay and leave if you want to leave?”

“How could that be? I’m still young, but I’ve already spent more than two years here. How could I not know what this place is like?”

“You told me that you would break the nightmare-like chain of this place. How can someone who can’t even keep one word that he has spoken talk about revenge?”

“There’s a saying that you should retreat when you’re in a hurry. I have no doubt that the current choice may seem like a retreat for now, but it will ultimately be a faster path. Also, as long as the dragon is alive, the Terra Barrier will never be peaceful, so it will be a path that achieves two goals at the same time.”

I know how my current appearance will look. It will look like I’m using every trick in the book because I’m blinded by revenge. But it’s okay to look like that. Even if 100 out of 100 people see me that way, if I don’t forget my goal and the path to it, I will definitely reach my goal.

“I will definitely come back and prove that my words were not wrong. Please send me away.”

#

“Congratulations.”

“Seriously, if you were going to leave like this, you should have left before we got attached.”

“If you go to the capital, please send a letter to your hometown. Please.”

When it became known that I was going to the capital, some of my close friends threw a small party for me. The number wasn’t large.

There were unsavory rumors about me being the only one who came back alive from the investigation team, and my departure from the Terra Barrier through what seemed like unjust methods overlapped with the resentment we felt towards those with connections. Still, I was grateful that someone believed in me until the end and blessed my future, and that I had gained something else in this place: friendship.

“I’ll be back, so please stay alive until then, because we have to see each other again.”