# Chapter 82
“Then how do you increase the amount of magical power?”
“There’s no general method. Usually, people don’t change from the amount they’re born with. Even opinions are divided on whether it’s possible through training.”
“Which side are you on?”
“It’s impossible.”
Aigle gave her concise answer and rolled her eyes. As her eyes moved, the pages of the book turned.
“Next is quality. Quality is first divided broadly into two categories: restoration and manifestation. Neither can be said to be superior to the other, but restoration magic has a narrower range of spells you can use. Manifestation, theoretically, has many more spells that can be used.”
“Theoretically?”
“Just because something is possible doesn’t mean you can actually use it. Some people have little innate magic, or their specific quality doesn’t match, so they don’t know many spells they can use.”
“What about you?”
“I’m manifestation.”
The book that had been floating in the air suddenly dropped to the floor with a thud. A small cloud of dust rose. Rite frowned and stepped back.
“Now for the practical part. First, we need to know your quality so I can determine how much I can teach you.”
Having finished her explanation, Aigle now crawled under the desk. From the pile of miscellaneous items, she found what looked like a washbasin with a stand.
When she roughly pushed aside the books piled on the desk with her arm, they fell to the floor with a loud noise. After placing the device on the desk, she went outside the room. Sounds of things colliding and rummaging followed.
“…This is chaotic.”
“I know.”
Arden agreed with Rite’s murmur. Soon, Aigle returned to the room carrying a bucket with a clear liquid. After pouring it fully into the depression of the device, the magician, seemingly out of breath, spoke haltingly.
“With this, we’ll… find out… the quality of… your magic.”
“How?”
“I’ll read the inscription engraved in your blood.”
Aigle glanced at Arden as she spoke. It felt like a look reproaching Arden’s one-dimensional experiment, making him avert his eyes.
“Just one drop of blood, drop it in here.”
Something sharp… While Aigle muttered and rummaged through the room, Rite rolled up his sleeve. Taking advantage of the moment when the magician’s gaze left him, he brought his hand to his mouth.
His pupils elongated vertically, and sharp fangs appeared between his parted lips. The teeth bit directly into the back of his hand.
“Done. I’ve already done it.”
“What? How?”
Rite called Aigle, returning to his normal appearance as if nothing had happened, lowering his sleeve. And Arden watched it all. Despite his seemingly calm expression, his hand was gripping the chair armrest tightly. He almost cried out in surprise at the unfamiliar sight.
This was beyond simply retracting and extending horns. Now Rite had perfect control over his appearance.
The liquid, which looked like water, began to ripple when the blood dropped. The wave that started from where the blood fell quickly swept across the water’s surface. Then, a single character appeared clearly.
ᛋ
“…What do you see there right now?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Again. Let’s try again.”
Aigle opened the window and, grunting with effort, moved the device to the window. She poured all the liquid inside out the window and refilled it anew.
Even Arden, who had been watching from a distance, had now risen from his chair and was anxiously observing.
“What. What is it. Is it bad?”
“No. The result seems strange, so try dropping it again.”
This time, the magician intended to see the blood being dropped herself and stared intently at Rite. Rite prodded the wound he had made earlier with his blunt teeth.
ᛋ
The character that appeared after dropping the blood was no different from before.
“It’s… the same again.”
“What’s the problem? Tell me quickly.”
Rite pressed Aigle.
My goodness. How can this be? This is the first time in how many years… Well, I suppose it’s not impossible. The magician mumbled incoherently, staring blankly at the character floating on the water.
“Sowilo. It means the sun. Technically it’s manifestation… Magicians with this magic have been few throughout history. The most famous among them was…”
“…”
“Artalis.”
Those blessed by the gods. Among them, one who inherited blood closest to the divine.
Aigle turned her head and looked up at Rite. In her brown eyes, confusion and curiosity were all mixed together.
* * *
On the second day in Idelven, Arden was alone in the room. Rite had left the lodging before sunrise. Arden had planned to go along, but Rite objected.
‘Sleep more.’
‘Why? Aren’t you going now?’
‘I am, but…’
After hesitating, Rite insisted on going alone. When asked why, the only answer was that it would be more convenient.
Arden felt both hurt and worried but eventually nodded. Contrary to Rite’s final words to sleep well, Arden hadn’t slept at all.
Alone, he looked out the window, walked around aimlessly, and opened his notebook to check plans, but time seemed to pass sluggishly.
He thought people were made of more intricate gears than any machine. It was easier to think by comparing things to what he knew well. Arden considered himself like a machine that had stopped working after losing a few parts. Until he met Rite.
By the time he realized he was moving again, Rite was in his arms. Something indefinable had filled the defect in the machine made of gears.
Just as gears fit together to form a large machine, was fate like that too? Arden felt the futility of all his efforts disappearing in an instant. After all, Rite had been caught in that gear of fate and started rolling.
He walked along the river to calm his troubled mind, but it was useless. Watching the natives going about their business with peaceful expressions made an unreasonable jealousy boil up inside him. Envy for those who could live comfortable and peaceful lives.
Arden reflected on his own life. He could barely remember when he had lived such a life. Since going to the castle, he had never felt a sense of security.
Living with the goal of entering the castle had been a big mistake. He had never thought concretely about life afterward. That’s why it was constantly precarious, and he was anxious even while sleeping. He had no confidence that he was doing well and no one to rely on.
Being driven into the Winter Forest, meeting Rite, and now. Crises kept happening, and he was just struggling in the great flow that swept him along.
Rite probably didn’t want to live like that anymore.
Arden thought of Rite, who had never known a moment’s peace. Born as a special being different from others, Rite had grown up fearing people’s gazes. Although Arden regretted not giving Rite more stability, he knew he would make the same choices if he could go back. Arden had no capacity to do anything beyond what he had done so far.
That fact weighed even more heavily on Arden’s heart. All the choices he had made so far were the best he could do. Interpreted differently, it also meant he lacked the capacity to achieve anything more.
Before he knew it, Arden was walking with his eyes on the ground, not looking around, when two unfamiliar pairs of shoes entered his field of vision.
“Uh… sir. Excuse me for a moment.”
The tone was awkward, like someone performing in a play. Just like imitating adults. When Arden looked up, he saw a face that was still youthful.
A woman with hair like a warm wheat field braided low and a tall man were standing side by side, looking at Arden.
“Um… we’re trying to inspect belongings…”
As the tall man hesitated, the woman jabbed him in the side. Hey, speak properly. The man hunched his shoulders at her scolding.
“Belongings?”
“Well…”
They were young adults who probably weren’t even twenty yet. Nevertheless, Arden couldn’t easily let down his guard.
“Oh, how frustrating.”
The woman glared at the man, then whipped her head around to look at Arden. Her demeanor was so intense that Arden flinched involuntarily.
“There have been many troubling incidents in the village lately. We’re questioning people in pairs, taking turns.”
“Ah… I don’t really have anything specific on me.”
A money pouch and a notebook. That was all. The money pouch wouldn’t look suspicious since he was a traveler, but the notebook had numerous suspicious points. Arden had kept both on his person because he was anxious about leaving them in the inn room, but if he had known there would be an inspection like this, he wouldn’t have come out in the first place.
“It’s just a formality. May I take a look?”
“Ah… I’ll take them out myself.”
Trying to appear calm, Arden first took out his money pouch. When he handed it to the woman, she opened the pouch and began checking inside.
Using this opportunity, Arden quickly took out his notebook as well. Thinking the man seemed to be the easier one to deal with, he planned to have the man inspect it while the woman was distracted.
“This is my diary.”
Saying so, he quickly flipped through the notebook in front of the man. The pages that rapidly passed by were filled with nothing but writing. Just as he was about to put it back in his pocket, the woman grabbed Arden.
“Ah, I just want to confirm that it’s a diary.”
Arden hesitated momentarily. Interpreting this as reluctance to show a diary to others, the woman waved her hands.
“I won’t read it in detail, so don’t worry.”
At this point, not showing it would be more suspicious.
