Chapter 211: Mage Assembly Part 6

Unlike Heger, who felt a sense of unease, Jun calmly prepared his next spell.

Maybe I’ll take it slow.

To be honest, even now, he was going easy on him.

If this were a real battle instead of a duel, Heger would already be sprawled on the floor like a frog.

Honestly, I’m tempted.

But of course, he couldn’t give in to that urge.

What Jun was aiming for was to showcase his overwhelming power in front of all the mages gathered here.

If that’s the case, some might say he should just take down his opponent instantly.

But he’s just a frog in a well. When something happens that goes beyond their understanding, the first thing they do is deny it.

And that wasn’t what Jun wanted.

Rather, I need to beat him slowly, methodically….make him reflect from the start on why he lost, and help him understand.

Fortunately, Jun noticed that a few of the younger mages had somewhat grasped the nature of his magic.

Maybe I’ll show them the same lightning spell, so they can make an easy comparison.

So, this level of mercy should be acceptable.

[Lightning Whip]

With a crackling sound, a whip of lightning was summoned.

But unlike a typical [Lightning Whip], this one was much thicker and deeper in color.

“Urgh!”

Perhaps thanks to Jun’s consideration, which no one else noticed, Heger managed to respond immediately.

[Earth Wall]

Heger, too, was aware that Jun’s specialty was lightning-based magic.

To counter it, he quickly responded with an earth-element spell which was lightning’s natural weakness.

At his gesture, the ground rose up to block the fierce lightning whip.

Crash!

But the wall of earth crumbled with surprising speed.

A spell not of one’s main element could only collapse so helplessly.

And so, the whip of lightning swung once again, stopping just short of Heger’s nose.

“One point.”

The confidence to stop without even landing a hit. And at the same time, a clear sign that he wasn’t planning to end the duel in a single blow.

“Grrgh…!”

Heger wasn’t so dense as to miss the implications. Gritting his teeth, he immediately began preparing his next spell.

But no matter how many times he tried, no matter how confidently he cast his best spells—

Jun’s [Shield] showed no signs of breaking.

Naturally, it didn’t take long for Heger’s fighting spirit to come crashing down into the abyss.

And then—

“That’s it! Of course! Y-You’re using ancient magic!”

After more than a dozen exchanges, he finally managed to identify part of Jun’s spell.

And by then, the score had already reached an overwhelming 15 to 0.

With that, Jun had achieved the result he was aiming for.

“Ancient magic?”

“What even is that?”

“Ah… I’ve heard of it. Once, a long time ago, there was a thesis presented at the academy.”

“Right! I remember now. Wasn’t it some mage from a now-defunct Tower who gave that presentation?”

“Really? That happened?”

“Yeah. And Mage Heger tore it to shreds back then too, saying it was a completely impractical, worthless theory…”

Out of the weighty silence that had fallen over Heger’s crushing defeat, murmurs began to spread once more….this time, led by the younger mages.

“So what’s the deal with this ancient magic? Why does it lead to results like that?”

“Don’t even get me started. That thing devours mana like nothing else…”

“Whoa, do you know anything about it?”

“Hard to explain here… but I think I finally understand why Heger’s spells were broken so easily.”

“Well, if nothing else, ancient magic is supposed to be insanely stable, right?”

“Sure, but still… for it to perform like that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“That can’t be everything. I’d bet there’s something else going on.”

At first, all eyes on Jun had been filled only with hostility, resentment, and anger.

But now, that mood had shifted slightly.

Of course, there was still plenty of discomfort, animosity, and resistance.

But underneath it all, a new foundation had taken root…curiosity.

It was a small change, and only among a handful of younger mages.

But even so, it made all the difference.

Once a mage’s curiosity was piqued, they rarely let go unless given a very good reason.

And that was precisely the mindset Heger feared the most.

Leaving behind Heger, who now stood full of frustration and embarrassment, Jun turned to face the others gathered in the dueling hall and opened his mouth.

“This is the weakness of modern magic that I mentioned earlier. Magic patterns refined like a master craftsman’s touch…of course, they’re excellent. But we must be mindful of the fatal flaw hidden beneath that refinement.”

“A-A question! Then what you just showed us was it achieved purely through ancient magic?”

One of the younger mages mustered the courage to speak up.

He was the one who had earlier been completely crushed by Heger when he presented a fire-suppression spell.

“That’s not the case. In my case, it’s the result of many fortunate encounters and experiences coming together.”

“What does that mean?! Then in the end, isn’t it just a unique case, one that can’t be generalized?”

“Exactly! That’s what I’m saying!”

“If we can’t learn from it, then what good is it, huh?”

Complaints erupted from all directions.

Some simply seized the moment to criticize Jun, riding the mood for their own sake.

But among the younger mages, a faint sense of despair could be felt.

Just as the atmosphere was about to heat up again, Laness stepped forward once more.

“Let’s at least hear him out.”

“Grrgh…!”

At this point, they couldn’t just ignore Laness’s opinion, so the mages reluctantly quieted down and turned their attention back to Jun.

Still wearing a calm smile, Jun continued, now in a gentler tone.

“It seems many of you are misunderstanding something. What was the title of my thesis?”

“Uh…”

<Why Is Modern Magic So Inherently Unstable?>

“Yes. That was the title. And the reason I chose that title was to provide you all with an example. Not everyone can walk the same path I have. And I, in turn, cannot walk the paths that others take.”

“But please, remember this. We are scholars. And mages. We are the ones meant to observe all phenomena, to question, and to seek change.”

“Right now, we’re simply speeding down a well-paved road without ever questioning it. But I hope you’ll recognize that there’s a far wider world beyond it.”

Jun took a deep breath and opened his mouth again.

To set one’s own limits and live in a confined world…of course, that may be stable.

But with that stability comes a decrease in change.

The graph I showed you earlier proves that.”

“……Then, are we also capable of pursuing the kind of change you speak of?”

It was a question from another mage. It was none other than Velles.

The question wasn’t something he had discussed in advance with Jun.

Still, like the other young mages, his eyes burned with conviction.

“Yes. It’s possible. And the ones who make it possible are those who walk the path of the unknown. We are mages, are we not?”

With that, Jun once again looked around the room.

He could sense the atmosphere shifting.

Not just among the younger mages. Even a few of the middle-aged ones were starting to show a change in expression.

It was a very small number, but still.

That’s what really matters.

Perhaps this moment was nothing more than a brief spark, flickering for just an instant.

A small change that could fizzle out like a match at any time.

But that was exactly what Jun had hoped for.

The rest would be nurtured by one particular eighth-circle mage who had long awaited this change.

“This has been Jun, of the White Whale Mercenaries. Thank you.”

***

Late at night.

To celebrate the successful conclusion of the thesis presentation, Jun, Laness, and Velles gathered in Jun’s room, casually sipping wine.

“But Jun… don’t you think your presentation today might’ve been a bit too aggressive?”

At Velles’s concerned comment, which was understandable given how he always had to tread carefully as a member of the Laness Mage Tower, Jun gave a frank nod.

Just as he was about to respond,

“This must be related to the Imperial family you mentioned before, right?”

Laness spoke up first, cutting him off, and Jun looked at her in silence.

Startled by his reaction, Velles also turned to stare at Jun.

No matter how much the Laness Tower tried to keep its distance from the Imperial family…

If something really had gone wrong within the Imperial family, the ripple effects would be unimaginable.

“There’s a high chance war will break out.”

“……!!”

And, sure enough, Velles’s prediction proved correct.

“You think the war won’t be easy.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, no… What are you even saying…?”

It sounded absurd. After all, wasn’t it the Empire that had unified all of humanity?

And yet, a war led by such an Empire…wouldn’t be easy?

Human wave tactics. And overwhelming technological superiority. Just because you have those two things doesn’t mean every war ends in victory.

And then there’s rooting out something like the Heavenly Church, which had entrenched itself in the Blackout region for centuries. That’s no easy task.

If it had been that simple, the storyline in the game wouldn’t have played out the way it did.

“May I ask why you think that?”

“For the same reason you feel concerned about the Mage Assembly, Lady Laness.”

“Hah… I see. Hard to argue with that.”

Velles, unable to follow the conversation, tilted his head repeatedly and asked,

“What do you mean, Master?”

“I’ve told you before. I fear that if the Mage Assembly continues on this path, the discipline of magic itself will decline. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“But the members of the Mage Assembly don’t realize that. Or rather, they do…but they unconsciously believe it’s not a serious issue.”

“Ah… then…”

“Exactly. The same goes for the Empire. No matter how focused the Imperial family may be on war, it’s hard for the Empire as a whole to grasp the true gravity of it.”

Ordinary citizens, who know nothing, may be stirred up over a war launched by the Empire for the first time in centuries.

But even that, how long do you think it would last?

Just because a war breaks out doesn’t mean their daily lives will change drastically.

And those who must stay focused on their own routines, can they really afford to care about something like this?

That would be too much to expect.

The Empire is simply too vast for that.

And the real problem is, it’s not just the common people who think that way.

“Countless nobles. Or perhaps many powerful individuals across the land will also consider it unrelated to them.”

Should they be forced to get involved?

Unfortunately, the Empire had no such authority to enforce that.

If it did, rebellions would have broken out a hundred times over.

“That… that can’t be…”

While Velles was still reeling from the shock, Laness looked at Jun with a gentle smile.

“So the place where the war will break out is here in Blackout.”

“Yes.”

“That’s why you actively supported my plan to bring about change among the mages.”

“That’s right. Did it perhaps offend you?”

“Haha… Of course not. I’m not that narrow-minded.”

She really is an extraordinary person.

Even though she stood at the level of the eighth circle, considered a transcendent stage, she was remarkably human.

And, because of that, she would be the one to die.

“Rather, I should take advantage of that change. A great mage, after all, should know how to make use of everything they have.”

At the words of a woman who loved mages more than anyone else, Jun quietly nodded.