Chapter 651. The One Who Left But Hasn’t Left (4)
What ability is necessary to properly hold a grudge?
Let’s see, nothing is more important than memory. After all, if you can’t remember things clearly, you won’t be able to hold a grudge properly. In that sense, Grandfell’s memory was extraordinary.
‘Otherwise, there’s no way you could have made such a wish.’
To ask for death just because someone didn’t buy you green tea!
‘But why, of all things.’
Why would you, of all people, desperately mutter your own name as if you could never forget it? Hearing Grandfell’s voice again after so long brought a sense of warmth, but…
I suppressed my emotions.
‘Focus, Lee Hoyeol.’
I had made a promise, hadn’t I? I had vowed that I would reach Grandfell by any means necessary. To do that, I needed to stay calm and focus on the clues that appeared by chance.
‘Could this be part of your arrangement…?’
No, that couldn’t be right.
I could bet on it.
I knew your personality better than anyone.
You never showed any weakness in front of others, no matter the situation.
Even when you were a clueless kid, you desperately hid your emotions, didn’t you?
‘You would never speak weakly in front of me.’
Then this must be a trace.
Perhaps, unknowingly, the memories of the past that had accumulated in the [Hexagram Brooch] flared up like dust when the brooch reunited and its power was activated.
‘Whatever it is, your voice is real.’
I started thinking.
『Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo.』
It felt a little too long, but once you remember it, it’s a full name you can’t easily forget.
Grandfell, the owner of that name, saying it to ensure you wouldn’t forget your own name.
‘It’s hard. It’s tough.’
Am I hitting a slump again?
Anyway, how big of an onion is this that the more I peel it, the more I find hidden corners, Grandfell…! If I could, I’d jump straight into [Understanding Darkness], but…
‘Unfortunately, now is not the time.’
Boom.
Amber Hall.
The dust that had risen slowly started to clear.
It was certainly worth provoking the senior mages with all my might.
[※Warning: Life force is rapidly decreasing.]
[Set item effect is applied.]
[Awakening.]
I had definitely met the awakening conditions.
At this moment,
I could feel the effect of the [Hexagram Brooch].
The flow of magic was clearly superior, even compared to the time when the first World Tree’s blessing was abundant. More importantly, the system message, which never lies, was confirming it.
[Your magic power consumption has become ‘0’.]
No matter how much I think about it,
It was an effect that was absolutely impossible to comprehend by the standard of a player. Even if the duration was short, to have zero magic power consumption?
‘It’s insane even by the standard of a regular player.’
The fact that this effect had been granted to me was an even crazier situation.
Why, it was all thanks to Grandfell that my standards had gotten so high!
I, Lee Hoyeol.
Still, it’s better than being a dog of the old school.
I had some decent magic and anomalies that I could manifest and apply.
However, I didn’t feel all that happy. As I said, I knew that the [Hexagram Brooch] symbolized the six of the Seven Deadly Sins that had been subdued by Claudi—except for pride.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was completely discouraged.
At the same time, I had trust. If it were just a horrifically ominous item, there was no way you would have left something like this for me. This was the trust I had in Grandfell.
Of course, it wasn’t only Grandfell I trusted. After all, why was I boldly activating the set effect of the [Hexagram Brooch], which might have some unforeseen side effects?
It was because I trusted the senior mages of the Magic Tower. As I mentioned, they were the ones who could easily handle the most talented mages on the vast Arcana continent.
If the senior mages of the Magic Tower were around, even if I went berserk from the side effects of the [Hexagram Brooch], I was certain they would be able to suppress me.
‘Is it teacher in that sense?’
For both the senior mages and myself,
It was certainly a constructive practical magic guidance session.
Why, I was happy to confirm the awakening effect of the [Hexagram Brooch].
The seniors were also happy for the opportunity to repay the lingering resentment they had toward me.
At that moment,
Matisse’s voice was heard.
“Chief Lee…!”
It was just the beginning.
No need to rush, Matisse.
I stepped forward through the dust and spoke.
Ttogak.
“Now it’s my turn again.”
*
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“……!!!”
All the senior mages who had entered Amber Hall.
Their pupils widened in shock.
It wasn’t that they were startled by the enormous magic power radiating from Chief Lee.
Vangrit Tom, the senior mage of Pure Magic, muttered.
“H-how…?”
Vangrit, now one with his magic power, didn’t need to focus to chase the magic traces. At this moment, the flow of magic in Amber Hall was vividly visible in his vision, as if paint was being layered onto a canvas.
And that was enough to leave him astonished.
He had definitely thought that reversal magic would be manifested.
No matter how powerful Chief Lee’s architectural magic was,
It would be magically impossible to block all the senior mages’ magic.
However…
“Why is the magic trace still present…?”
The magic traces they had manifested remained clear in Amber Hall.
To be exact, they remained clearly on Chief Lee’s body.
Vangrit recalled Chief Lee’s lecture from the regular conference in the past.
-“Reversal magic is nothing more than reversing the process of exploration, creation, and manifestation.”
It was such an abstract and succinct statement that Vangrit still didn’t fully understand the principle of reversal magic. However, he clearly knew one thing: reversal magic didn’t leave behind magic traces.
That was the case.
Unless reversal magic reversed reversal magic itself, theoretically, reversal magic didn’t leave magic traces. It didn’t make sense, but the reversal magic that Chief Lee had demonstrated, which Vangrit had witnessed, had never left any magic traces.
“No way.”
Then, there was only one possibility.
Chief Lee, without manifesting reversal magic, had simply absorbed their magic with his body.
“Why…?”
Vangrit was confused.
It wasn’t that he was surprised to see Chief Lee unharmed after absorbing their magic with his body.
The true brilliance of Chief Lee was beyond his grasp.
What confused him was why Chief Lee had deliberately refrained from manifesting reversal magic.
Fortunately, that question didn’t remain for long.
“Senior Mage, Vangrit.”
“…Yes?”
“Your manifestation is still weak.”
Why had he absorbed the magic with his body?
“Remember this. You possess a magical sensitivity that even the mages of magic families envy. There is no reason for someone who can make magic obey to be swayed by magic.”
And then, Chief Lee began to show it directly.
On the upper level of Amber Hall,
Marcelo, who had been watching everything, opened his mouth.
“magic traces know the answer…”
That’s right.
“Indeed, Chief Lee, you are consistent until the very end.”
Practical magic guidance.
Because a mage can understand everything through magic traces.
Chief Lee had absorbed the senior mages’ magic into his body.
He had etched the senior mages’ magic traces into his body.
As you can see.
“What are you afraid of, Matisse?”
“Chief Lee…”
“The Blackening you fear is nothing but an illusion. No matter how painful the past and background, isn’t it the nourishment that made you who you are now?”
To give the senior mages a lesson.
“I regret causing confusion in the spirit realm, Feiyan.”
“Isn’t there no need for you to apologize to me…?”
“Even so, there’s no need for concern. Even if they are contracted spirits, they are independent beings who think for themselves. Sometimes, isn’t it necessary for them to deviate from their duties?”
He had fully accepted the magic.
“Bensch William.”
“I hear you, Chief.”
“You didn’t go all out.”
“That’s…!”
“Is the Chief Mage’s authority so laughable?”
“What? No?! Of course not!”
Of course, the way the lessons were given was slightly different for each senior mage…
But those watching couldn’t help but feel it.
They understood that there was no longer any justification for stopping Chief Lee’s path.
Bellier said to Marcelo.
“I’m starting to understand why Chief Lee made this decision. Who could stop him? Even though he voluntarily stepped down from the position of the Chief Mage… He’s still dedicating himself to the Magic Tower more than anyone else…”
Jesse hesitated before speaking.
“I was hoping for it… the creation of the reversal magic school…”
At those words, Marcelo smiled and replied.
“Won’t he return when the time comes? This is just between us, but we’ve already prepared a seat for him when he returns.”
“A seat? What do you mean?”
“I’ve made some adjustments to the rules with the Tower Master’s authority.”
“…Is it okay to just change the rules like that?”
“What does it matter? There’s no longer any elder or chief mage to complain about.”
Marcelo, somehow, doesn’t he resemble someone else?
The gaze of the childhood friend narrowed slightly.
Of course, the cone-shaped hat was no longer going to just sit quietly and listen.
– What? Changing the rules freely? When I was the Tower Master, I’d get in trouble just for breaking a single rule. With no eyes watching, now you’re just doing whatever you want, little Simuard.
Jesse asked the cone-shaped hat.
‘So, you don’t like it?’
The cone-shaped hat replied, slyly.
-…Well, I guess it’s time to change it?
*
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The Ritual of the Ten Thrones.
From the Demon World to the Arcana continent.
And from the Arcana continent to the world of adventurers.
The Ten Thrones, who had lost significant power due to their repeated descents, gathered once more.
“It’s new to face each other like this.”
As if proving this fact,
Among the four Thrones gathered in the humble ritual, there were no veils.
No, the correct expression would be that there was no need for one.
“Isn’t that right, Valefor?”
The second throne’s demon king.
The master of language.
Agares.
The most significant factor in the Ten Thrones all facing reality together was Agares’ 【Word Command】. The three Thrones bowed before Agares.
“Tell me what you saw and heard.”
Agares was busy reconstructing his domain in Reality.
While focusing all his energy on that, he had no choice but to rely on the eyes and ears of the other Thrones to learn of the adventurer world’s happenings, as he couldn’t even use his own eye powers.
In this sense, the rat-like Valefor was a perfect fit for the task. The problem was whether Agares could fully trust Valefor’s words.
“What?”
Agares’ face twisted.
“The light claimed it would hunt the darkness?”
But the change in his expression didn’t last long.
The evil-filled adventurer world began to inspire Agares.
“In that case.”
Inspiration to restore the fallen authority of the Ten Thrones.
“If we help the light hunt, everything will be resolved, won’t it?”
“…?!!”
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tl/n: there’s a mistake on the last part of the translation, from “If we assist in hunting the light, everything will be resolved, won’t it?” to “If we help the light hunt, everything will be resolved, won’t it?”
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