Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I followed David into the somewhat small sparring ground in the north.

The jade-colored floor looked beautiful yet solid.

The swords with blades sharply honed displayed in the sparring ground looked like ones that couldn’t even be obtained in a decent smithy.

In the cities outside the Equira castle, skilled craftsmen would keep one or two of the highest quality and take them out.

To the sword craftsmen of the Equira family, that degree was exactly for training.

In the sparring ground with only me and David, as I held a sword and lightly swung it, Herdrode entered.

He threw one booklet to David.

“It’s the solution to the [Firma] diagram you wrote down yesterday. Read it. We’ll talk in a bit.”

“Understood.”

“Ronan, put away the sword and sit. From today, you also draw magic power diagrams.”

I sheathed the sword and sat in place.

“You must have trained mana for a long time too.”

“Yes.”

“Then do you know what mana is?”

“It is a nature-friendly power that the World Tree absorbs magic power and ether and releases.”

“You know well. This thing called mana easily settles in all living beings of the natural world, lends power, and follows their will.”

Hmm, as expected, a class of a magic practitioner?

Arrogant from the start.

Saying something that would make mages and knights feel bad so casually...?

That genius speaks easily, but handling mana is by no means an easy matter.

There are those who can’t even sense mana, talent divides even among those who handle mana, and there are countless those who spend their lives drinking the bitter cup in the studies and fields of handling mana.

...Having lived as a mana user for decades, I momentarily rebelled, but I am also a magic practitioner now.

No need to become uncomfortable at this point.

Yes, mana is a relatively kind power.

Let’s know it that way and move on.

“According to the magic books written by the Original Emperor, magic power is the most fundamental power handled by gods.”

The First Emperor once wrote numerous books, they said.

The magic books written in the hope that others would reach the realm of gods like himself, unfortunately, because safety was not considered, made countless people go mad or twist or mutate or die.

A truly human-like mistake that did not even consider the abilities of the foolish masses.

After stopping the writing like that and instructing to retrieve his books, thousands of years later he floated a moon that bestowed his authority as is, so it seems he had truly great interest in creating ones like himself.

Anyway, the magic books he personally wrote became the trigger for birthing magic practitioners like this through research over thousands of years.

The speed does not reach his wish, but it feels like it is flowing according to his will.

“Many died charmed by the phrase of those magic books calling it the power of gods, without understanding the later content. What I want to say is this.”

It seemed he was going to state the point.

“Magic power is a dangerous power. If it touches bare skin, the body collapses. Even with faint aftereffects, the body is eroded. Unlike mana, because it seeps in, no positive evolution occurs. Therefore, a living being eroded by magic power is merely a pitiful dying creature that erodes everything it touches to become like itself.”

It was a warning to be careful with magic power.

“Magic power must flow thoroughly along a predetermined path, toward a predetermined place. What makes this possible is the path seed, the evidence that we were created imitating the form of gods.”

The path seed awakens and takes root.

It is an explanation of the Magic Root engraved in the head when receiving a Blessing from the red moon.

“The path seed refers to a point inside the body that has resistance to magic power. When that place opens by itself and takes root, becoming a vessel that holds magic power and grows, it is called a Magic Root.”

“...”

“The Magic Root is truly a wondrous part. It dyes the held magic power with its unique color, can move the dyed internal magic power, and just by moving, unique attributes and peculiar authorities stick like traces to magic power-based forces.”

Not magic power, but magic power-based forces.

There must be a reason he said it that way.

“Is mana included too?”

“Correct. If you circulate mana with the Magic Root awakened, that color and attribute also settle in your mana. Try it once.”

I awakened the Magic Root.

And slowly circulated mana throughout the whole body.

The faintly rising blue energy reddened every time the mana brushed past the heart area, and soon dyed into a red color like moonlight.

“Often, mages with awakened Magic Roots use this to give personality to their magic. For example, in the case of the White Tower Lord, he has a frost Magic Root. Awaken the Magic Root’s magic power, and when using frost magic, that power is greatly amplified. Even if using non-attribute magic, cold energy settles and it becomes frost magic.”

He examined my mana.

“Is it not flame? No heat is felt. Let’s take separate time to learn the attribute. You may withdraw the mana and put the Magic Root to sleep.”

“Understood.”

When the light disappeared from my body, Herdrode continued.

“The roots of the Magic Root can hold magic power and extend. Through this, they create pathways where magic power can flow safely, but what use is there just by flowing. It must flow with intent. The path with that intent is called a diagram.”

Herdrode took out a stone tablet the size of a small book from his sleeve and threw it.

“Try infusing mana.”

Not magic power?

But magic power is difficult to infuse anyway.

Wasn’t the sound heard just before that magic power must flow only in predetermined places.

If attaching to the chest where the Magic Root is, one could flow it somehow, but that didn’t seem to be what he was saying.

When I infused mana as instructed, I felt a tube extending inside the stone tablet.

“You must connect the path according to that diagram in the Magic Root.”

The diagram itself was shorter than expected. But the depth and width of the path differed by section.

Even the upper and lower surfaces of the lines were like mirror images yet slightly twisted, so it looked not easy to reproduce.

“What happens if I connect the path?”

“A phenomenon occurs when magic power flows.”

“Then does a phenomenon occur even if I infuse magic power into this stone tablet?”

“Yes, if you touch the stone tablet with your hand when magic power flows inside, your finger will fly off. If you leave it, the floor and surrounding furniture will be damaged.”

“What kind of power is it that it’s like that?”

“That diagram is the diagram of [Margo] that Equira’s magic practitioners learn first. Margo means ‘my body becomes sharp.’”

I quietly looked down at the stone tablet.

If I infused magic power, it seemed I wouldn’t be able to hold the diagram stone tablet for a while.

“The danger will be clearly felt, but there are foolish ones who infuse and touch out of curiosity. If my disciple commits such folly, it’s excommunication.”

He’s quite extreme.

“I’ll be careful. More than that, is Margo magic?”

“At least among the combat magics officially recognized by the magic towers, there is none that causes a similar phenomenon. By overlapping Sharpness on the whole body and using it, one could temporarily produce similar results.”

“I see.”

“Strictly speaking, it can be called ancient magic, but because it can be mixed with the magics of mages, we do not call it that. We call this magic arts.”

“Understood.”

It is magic, but the structure itself is different from modern magic, so it’s ambiguous to call it magic.

If forced, it would be ancient magic, and magic practitioners call it magic arts.

And it seemed it would be fine to understand that to use magic arts, one must engrave the diagram inside one’s body.

“Is it extending the roots of the Magic Root according to the shape of this diagram?”

“Correct. Then where should it extend.”

“I don’t know.”

“The path seed. Connect the Magic Root to another point inside you that is sleeping, resistant to magic power, and awaken it.”

“Then does another Magic Root awaken?”

“No. That becomes a degraded Magic Root, a conduit root. However, it holds a special separate attribute like the Magic Root.”

Admiration came here.

Every time connecting a path from the Magic Root to a path seed, a new power settles in my magic power and mana.

“Then now, I will find your path seeds.”

Herdrode placed one pill in front of me.

Something glowing bluish, clearly expensive yet a dangerous item that shouldn’t be taken carelessly.

“Activate the Magic Root and endure. Absolutely do not stop until I signal.”

“What happens then?”

“Magic power will seep into the whole body. I’ll see that you don’t die looking at the brief bond of being a disciple. However, it will be the end as a magic practitioner.”

“I’ll endure with all my might.”

Red light rose at the chest again.

“Then, eat it.”

Putting the pill in my mouth, it melted as is and was sucked into the Magic Root as if piercing the inside of the body.

I know what this is.

If analogized, it’s a magic power ampoule made of mana.

It pressed down and wrapped the magic power and came down, and upon reaching the Magic Root, some mana scattered and broke.

Through that gap, the poured-out magic power flowed into the Magic Root.

Magic power surged near the Magic Root.

The red light at the chest gradually brightened.

It felt like each and every cell the light touched was strangely awakened.

An alien sensation to the point of worrying if it was mutating.

Enduring is burdensome.

An amount of magic power difficult to fully contain in the vessel is continuously pouring in.

Even so, the reason it doesn’t overflow is because the vessel is forcibly holding it.

Magic power was swirling centered on the Magic Root.

I understand why he said to endure.

If there was no such explanation, I would have let go soon.

But if I let go, the whole body gets eroded?

Why is he just standing with arms crossed looking in?

Was the erosion a lie, and he’s just seeing how long I can endure?

Ignoring the logic trying to persuade myself and enduring with difficulty, suddenly some of the magic power of the Magic Root disappeared in a handful.

And the roots grew rapidly and increased in size around.

...Did the vessel get bigger?

But the magic power of the pill was still pouring without end.

He said it wasn’t good, so why did he prepare so much like this.

The enlarged Magic Root was filled full again.

The red magic power swirling around without being contained gradually increased in size, and around the time it felt like it completely left the area where the Magic Root took root.

Herdrode approached and extended his hand.

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