“Whew. That went on for quite a while this time. Aren’t you tired, old man?”
“Worry about yourself. You’re too young to already be developing a hunchback.”
“Oh, come on. I was just expressing some concern.”
“Know your place, boy. You’ve got a long way to go before you’re in any position to worry about me.”
“More importantly… Ah! Right. That mage should’ve been here too… Wait, what? He’s still here?”
Late at night.
Having completely forgotten about eating or drinking, Marshar who had been deeply immersed in his work spotted Jun sitting in a corner under the glow of a [Light] spell, still observing the two of them work and he was startled.
Normally, other mages would be fascinated at first but would eventually back off.
There hadn’t been anyone who kept watching like this all day long.
Even if they were mages themselves, unless things were explained step-by-step, they couldn’t understand what the two were doing.
That guy’s not just crazy… he’s insane!
Marshar had always believed that genius required a touch of madness, but seeing someone of the same kind right before his eyes sent a chill down his spine.
“But what’s he writing?”
“He must be getting ideas. Look, there are sheets of paper scattered around him.”
“Huh? Wait a moment. Looking now, those aren’t even ours?”
Not content with just scribbling in his notebook, Jun had borrowed sheets of paper from the workshop and was writing new ones from scratch.
Even now, after seemingly pausing to think deeply for a moment, he resumed furiously scribbling away with his pen.
“Mind if I take a look at what he’s working on?”
“Have you no pride as a mage?”
“Come on, that guy’s been watching all day. What’s the harm in me taking a quick peek!”
“It’s fine. Go ahead”
Jun replied, without even lifting his pen from the paper.
Seeing that, Marshar shot Shylock a smug look as if to say “See?” and picked up one of the papers scattered on the floor.
Wh-What is this?
At first, he was impressed by how well the complex formulas were written.
But the more he understood them one by one, the more his jaw dropped without even realizing it, completely absorbed in the content.
All the theories here are based on low-circle spells… and yet he’s linking them together with this level of precision?
Though he called himself an alchemist, Marshar was also a mage of the enchantment school, and as such, he had a wide theoretical understanding of various forms of magic.
Is it really possible to link such low-level spells like this? Oh, right…mana! Come to think of it, that mage’s mana was anything but ordinary.
Despite having incredibly pure mana, his ability to control it was on a whole different level. So much so that such feats became possible.
Furthermore, Jun had recently delved into ancient spells, which had served to reinforce the structure of his magic, enhance its efficiency and maintain its performance.
As Marshar picked up and read through the scattered papers one by one, he felt a mix of emptiness, fear, and awe.
The only other time I felt like this was when I first saw the old man’s work…
Taken individually, these spells were all inferior to high-circle magic.
But what if one used this kind of theory to create a new type of high-circle magic?
It would be far faster, far more powerful and stable, too.
From Marshar’s perspective, these formulas weren’t designed to defeat opponents of the same level.
They were built solely to take on enemies stronger than the caster.
Realizing that, Marshar felt as though he could glimpse fragments of the kind of life that mage had lived.
No wonder his name’s been floating around in the rumors. He must’ve been through death more than a few times.
Carefully gathering the scattered papers as if handling precious treasure, Marshar turned to look at Jun, who was still furiously scribbling with his pen.
Now I get why the old man brought him here.
If there existed a mage who could produce results just by watching, there was no way Shylock, with his personality, wouldn’t offer his help.
This guy’s absolutely insane.
Meanwhile, contrary to Marshar’s assumption—
Even Shylock, with a slightly overwhelmed expression, was glancing over the papers Jun had written.
As a mage of a much higher caliber than Marshar, he saw Jun’s magic from a slightly different angle.
He’s not just thinking about the present. He’s already planned for the future!
There were some oddities in a few of the magical patterns Marshar had overlooked.
They didn’t stand out at first glance, and to some, they might’ve even seemed inefficient due to their intricate nature.
But they were all stepping stones laid out for the future.
Those elements would shine all the more once higher-circle magic came into play.
He said he was under Damian, didn’t he…
Shylock suddenly thought of Jun’s master, Damian.
At the same time, he looked down at the bracelet around his wrist.
Though Damian had been much younger than him, his talent for magic had never once fallen short of Shylock’s own.
The cocky brat who had dared to place a [Magic Seal] on him, one even he couldn’t undo, still kept him from properly using his mana to this day.
And this kid was the one who killed that guy?
Suddenly, reality felt ridiculous.
And an evil thought crept into his mind.
A way to mock someone already dead had come to mind.
“We should have that kid keep participating in our research.”
“What do you mean, old man?”
“Once he comes to his senses, tell him to come here again tomorrow. After lunch.”
“Huh? You’re calling him again tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“You must’ve taken quite a liking to him. Alright, works for me. It’ll be easier if we can get some help.”
Eventually, Jun came to his senses and returned to his room in the late hours of dawn.
***
“Ugh…”
It felt like waking up from a long dream. Jun came to his senses and looked around.
His memories of the previous day were hazy, like he’d been on a heavy drinking binge.
“Oh, right.”
As he looked at the towering stack of papers on his desk, Jun finally recalled what had happened the day before.
“I really went wild writing, didn’t I?”
Seeing how many spells were meticulously written and organized, Jun felt like he hadn’t been in his right mind yesterday.
Perhaps it was similar to the trance-like state Maya had entered when she fought the Lord.
“It kind of feels like I just gave myself more homework…”
Even though he was the one who wrote all of it, fully mastering everything there wasn’t going to be easy.
“For now, I should at least grab some lunch.”
When he arrived at the dining hall for a late lunch, he found Marshar eating alone.
“Oh, hey. Mage. You made it?”
“Yeah.”
“You look half-dead. Well, makes sense. You were at it until the crack of dawn. No way you’d be fine after that.”
The magical insights Jun had gained yesterday were the result of a perfect storm of coincidences.
First, his [Intermediate Magic Talent] allowed him to grasp the various theories.
Then came his accumulated magical knowledge. Plus the memories from his previous life.
All of those elements came together to produce what had happened the day before.
“Don’t even talk about it. I can barely remember anything from yesterday. I don’t even know if I could do it again.”
“Heh, that happens. But you didn’t forget the important part, right? You have to come to work for us starting today.”
“What?”
“You seriously forgot? The old man told you to report for work.”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do there? I doubt our fields even overlap.”
“Beats me. If the old man said to come, there’s probably something you can do.”
“Well, I did get some help from them. It’s not like I can’t do it.”
Besides, working together in their workshop would probably help him organize the insights he’d gained yesterday.
Once Eleanor gets more used to magic, I might even be able to teach her what I learned yesterday.
With a thought that would’ve made Eleanor tear her hair out had she heard it, Jun turned his focus back to his meal.
***
Inside the [Checkpoint] at Level 2, the “Hayfields of Murd”.
In a tavern there, a man sat grumbling with a sour expression.
“Lieutenant’s being too harsh. Starting us off on Level 2, really?”
Wurt, a former soldier who had once served under Joseph, grumbled as he took a swig of beer.
They were the Break Mercenary Group, a five-person team made up of former soldiers who had followed Joseph.
“Wurt, have you still not learned anything from all those beatings the Lieutenant gave us back then?”
At the sharp remark from Enamel, Wurt’s peer and fellow former soldier, his scowl deepened as he replied.
“Come on. Think about the missions we used to handle on the surface. I know Blackout has a nasty reputation, but starting from Level 2? That’s just a waste of time.”
“Just shut up already. I’m sure Lieutenant Joseph has his reasons for sending us here.”
“Grrr…”
While Wurt was the more skilled fighter, he had always been weaker than Enamel when it came to leadership and he’d shown that weakness ever since their early days.
Still, Enamel could understand why Wurt was complaining.
It’s not just his impatience. He’s probably unhappy with where the Lieutenant ended up too.
They’d been assigned to a mercenary group sponsored by the Gillen Merchant Guild, if she remembered right.
Naturally, that would provoke a reaction like his.
While Gillen had some standing on the surface, their influence in Blackout was undeniably weaker.
But Enamel saw things differently.
Right now, the Gillen Merchant Guild was a rising star.
Riding that wave and solidifying their position now would be the much smarter long-term move.
Even before coming down to Blackout, Enamel had already gathered some intel on the industry here, so she looked much calmer than the others.
According to the rumors, the White Whale Mercenary Corps built an incredible reputation in just a single year. Even if only half of it’s true, it’s still impressive.
Was it simply because the White Whale Mercenary Corps possessed outstanding skills?
Enamel didn’t think so.
It was likely only possible thanks to the solid backing of the Gillen Merchant Guild.
Just as Enamel was lost in that line of thought—
“Excuse me. Are you with the Break Mercenary Group?”
A handsome man with radiant blond hair and a petite, expressionless woman entered the tavern and approached them.
“Who are you?”
Wurt responded with a skeptical tone, and the man smiled gently as he replied.
“I’m Aiden, from the White Whale Mercenary Corps.”
“I’m Maya.”
“Huh…?”
Why in the world were they showing up here?
As Wurt tilted his head with a dumbfounded look on his face—
Enamel pinched his side hard.
“Augh!”
“.…..?”
“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Enamel, vice-leader of the Break Mercenary Group. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re joining us for the upcoming operation, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
That idiot Wurt must’ve already forgotten he was told someone from the White Whale would be coming to see them.
I told him to go easy on the booze…
Finally catching on to the situation, Wurt rubbed his side and spoke up.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Wurt, leader of the Break Mercenary Group.”
“Ah, I was introduced to you in the letter from Joseph. He mentioned you served in the same unit.”
“Ha! Sounds like our captain’s been running his mouth again. So then… Enamel?”
Still not quite grasping the full situation, Wurt glanced at her with confused eyes, and Enamel briefly considered pinching him again but held back.
“Welcome. It’s an honor to be working with you on this mission. From what I’ve heard, your skills are quite remarkable.”
“Ah, that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration. The one with real talent is my senior… I mean, our leader.”
“Your leader is a mage, right? That’s impressive. I’ve heard it’s extremely rare to find a mage working as a mercenary in Blackout.”
“It is rather uncommon. So, would you mind telling me about the mission?”
“I’ll explain right away.”
Unlike Wurt who still seemed dazed Enamel quickly realized that this young man Aiden was no ordinary warrior.
Even within the safety of a [checkpoint], to maintain such focus and composure was something you’d expect only from Imperial Knights.
“Our mission is to re-explore a dungeon discovered in the field last year.”
“That’s right, that’s right! It’s a request we landed through good old-fashioned legwork. We’ve already gathered all the related information! So it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
At Wurt’s follow-up, the mood between Aiden and Maya instantly turned cold.
“Not… too difficult?”
“That guy. He just uttered a forbidden phrase. Might have to sew his mouth shut while we still can…”
“Huh? What? Is…. Is there a problem?”
Why would people who supposedly survived getting lost in the fifth level look so serious over something on the second layer?
As Wurt and Enamel tilted their heads in confusion, Aiden who was now clearly serious spoke up.
“Everyone… there’s no such thing as an easy mission in Blackout. Please, never forget that.”
“……?”
They still didn’t get it.
It wasn’t something they could understand just by hearing it.
This was something they would have to experience for themselves.
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