How should one properly establish their reputation?
There were various ways to build a reputation, but the method Shane chose was to earn the recognition of those who were respected and admired by others despite being somewhat old-fashioned.
In that sense, mages were one such group of people.
They had great pride in their knowledge and a desperate thirst for learning. This made them the perfect audience to spread one’s name.
However, in addition to the fact that Shane was still a student, the fact that he was not from the Magic Tower was a major weakness.
Therefore, he had to satisfy their curiosity before it faded away.
[Let’s skip the formalities and start with questions.]
It was not what a typical presenter would say.
Presenters were supposed to reveal the information they brought with them.
However, mages quickly lost interest in anything outside their field of study, and Shane had already thought of a way to capture the attention of every mage present.
The key was to present a topic so interesting that even the most uninterested members of the audience would get hooked.
Following his words, almost all the mages present raised their hands at the same time, and the question from a mage selected by one of the hosts began.
“I am Sergei from the Mardi Magic Tower. With the recent opening of the Great Mezaiya Forest, what magical knowledge have you gained from the expedition results?”
[We have identified the essence of elven magic and its basic applications.]
“Hmm…!”
As if expecting the response, Shane’s answer sparked genuine interest on the mages’ faces.
Though he was just a student, his previous research paper had once stirred various Magic Towers and he was a mage who had survived that cradle.
It was certainly a matter worth anticipating.
“I am Melfis from the Horquai Magic Tower. In that case, can you provide a general explanation of that essence?”
[Yes. First, let me show you what I have prepared.]
Shane wrote a formula on the blackboard set up on the platform.
The mages attending the conference looked at the palm-sized disks handed out by the conference organizers, which displayed the formula Shane had written on the blackboard.
[This is the formula necessary for elves to wield magic. Fundamentally, the essence of elven magic is affinity. Over hundreds and thousands of years, they have actively used their magical adaptability to harmonize with the Great Forest. This allowed them to exert influence over the vast area of the Great Mezaiya Forest with only a small amount of magical power.]
“So, does that mean…”
[Yes. There is no way to escape the elves’ sight in the Great Mezaiya Forest. All the plants there serve as their eyes and ears.]
The hall immediately erupted in noise at these words.
While it sounded simple, they could guess how complicated the process was and how much time it had taken to achieve this.
The mages were able to realize reality once again.
Humanity had only been wielding magic for a few hundred years, so it was inevitable that there would be differences compared to ancient races.
Additionally, this served as a warning from Shane to humans.
It was a reminder to think about what might happen if they ever attempted to wage war against the elves or tried to kidnap them.
There was a reason why the elves, who numbered only in the thousands before recorded history, were able to dominate the vast Great Mezaiya Forest, which was even larger than the Empire.
The magic formula that Shane displayed was meticulously crafted based on magical adaptability, so humans couldn’t replicate it no matter how hard they tried.
This meant that humans couldn’t interfere with elven magic at their current level.
“I am Garpa Sergio of the Harmen Magic Tower. So, what can we humans learn from the magic of the elves?”
At that moment, the question from the mage who introduced himself as Sergio was somewhat of a test.
Given that even the mages present couldn’t immediately think of a way to use elven magic, it was unlikely that Shane who was just a student could come up with one.
[It is difficult to assert that it will bring about significant changes immediately. However, haven’t we humans always created new paths by starting with imitation? Like this, for example.]
As Shane reached out into the air and muttered a short incantation, strands of magical power began to emerge from his hand and they formed a landscape painting.
“Wow…!”
Everyone gathered there, including the mage who had asked the question, widened their eyes in amazement.
The unfolding green landscape looked more vibrant than anything else.
A vast meadow with mountain goats frolicking on it.
Behind the meadow, towering mountains stretched out, and the sun peeking through the clouds high in the sky radiated a powerful vitality.
The mages gathered at the conference realized that this was not just a mere landscape painting created with magical power.
The warmth felt under the sunlight calmed their minds and bodies, and even their aged bodies were regaining vitality.
The mages were astonished and they all looked at Shane in unison while wondering what was happening.
[This is the essence received from the Queen of the Elves, the ruler of the Great Mezaiya Forest. This magic was created based on that. While it requires the essence of the elves as a material, the ways to apply this are limitless.]
Setting aside the fact that he used the essence of the Elves Queen, could it really be possible to use such magic with the essence of a living being?
This method was beyond the current mages’ understanding.
Of course, based on the magical knowledge that humanity possessed at this time, their judgment was not wrong.
But that was only from the human perspective.
[Elves can handle the essence of the forest through their adaptability. No, that’s a misleading way to put it. The essence of the elves is the essence of the forest, and vice versa.]
“I… I have a question. So, does this mean it is still impossible for us humans to use it?”
[It can’t be said for certain. When it comes to magic using essence, there is a school of thought that might come to mind. Isn’t that right?]
Several mages frowned at this.
They couldn’t help it.
Other than the essence of nature, there was indeed a school that used the essence of living beings, or life force.
The mages who had experienced the horrors of that war when the coalition had directly exterminated it decades ago muttered quietly.
“That’s right. They did that…”
“Even thinking about it now, phew!”
[Yes, it’s black magic. Although its methods and ideology are wrong, just as the elves can handle essence, it’s not impossible for humans to handle it as well.]
“Ugh…”
Several mages sighed but they couldn’t completely disagree.
For many mages, black magic still evoked traumatic memories, yet they couldn’t oppose it entirely for a clear reason.
That reason was the magic Shane was demonstrating right now.
There was the result right in front of them, how could they deny it?
The mages were stubborn, but they were never ones to avoid the results displayed before their eyes.
Meanwhile, Caden, the elder of the Kabeer Mage Tower who had previously collaborated with Shane on his thesis, raised his hand as he watched the magic Shane performed.
[Ask your question.]
“Well. I feel your theory has enough potential. So, what exactly do you mean by imitation?”
[To explain this, I need to clearly define the essence I mentioned earlier. Although I compared it to black magic just now, the essence of black magic and the essence I demonstrated are fundamentally different in nature.]
“Indeed. The magic handled by black mages is rather tyrannical and exceedingly rough.”
[The reason for this is that in black magic the essence is drawn from the death of the living. The essence that comes from the dead tends to return to nature, but when it is suppressed by magical power and handled with the energy of the dead, it becomes corrupted. This can be seen as an act of betrayal of the will of the world.]
“That’s right. We mages are not ones to betray the will of the world, but rather to seek a new order.”
[Yes. On the other hand, the essence I just handled exists naturally, unlike the life force of living beings. Therefore, without a medium like the energy of the dead used by black mages, it is difficult to handle unless one assimilates with nature like the elves do.]
Caden’s face showed a look of curiosity.
It made sense, but if that were the case, then no matter how much essence the Elf Queen had shared, the magic Shane just demonstrated would be impossible.
This realization made him even more curious.
[So, I decided to imitate the elves’ magical adaptability. Of course, there were many trials and errors, but the formula is as follows.]
He approached the blackboard again and wrote down a new formula.
Unlike before, this time most of the mages could immediately understand the formula, as it was not centered around adaptability but rather the pattern of magic.
[As you can see, unlike the magic created by the elves, I used magical patterns instead of focusing on adaptability.]
The adaptability of elves is on a completely different level compared to that of humans.
Even among humans with excellent adaptability, they were so lacking that they would be called dim-witted among the elves.
Therefore, Shane shifted his focus from magical adaptability to pattern analysis.
“So, that’s it. There was a method like this.”
“Of course, if you create the magical pattern externally instead of relying on a circle, it isn’t impossible.”
“But what can we use this for?”
“Goodness, man! After seeing that magic earlier, you still ask that? It’s the magic that illuminated this entire hall and showed such healing power. If we focus that into a single point, it would be more effective than any healing potion made from troll blood!”
“Look at this old man’s attitude. Ugh, anyway, that’s true.”
Indeed, once Shane showed one path, it was easy for other ideas to branch out, unlike when there were no paths at all.
[Although this isn’t magic that can be used without any preparation, it’s a method that can be used as long as there is nature’s essence. So, how do we obtain nature’s essence on our own? In fact, I haven’t figured out this method yet. However, with the help of the elves, I believe this can also be resolved in time.]
The mages who listened up to that point saw Shane bow his head and leave the room.
They wondered if there were more questions to ask, but the information they had already heard and the formulas Shane had shown kept them busy.
And so, Shane had sufficiently captured the mages’ interest.
One might question why they bothered with such concerns when humans still couldn’t harness nature’s essence on their own.
But what they focused on was none other than the healing power demonstrated by Shane’s magic.
Although it merely replenished energy, as one mage had noted, the fact that it could fill this vast hall with such power was groundbreaking.
Just as Shane sought fame, the mages were also hungry for fame.
Why?
Because fame translated into money.
How much of a revolutionary change took place when the existence of a potion made from the blood of trolls was first revealed to the world?
Though it was not a perfect cure, it helped many adventurers alleviate their fear of injury.
As a result, the mages who created those potions gained immense fame and wealth.
If they could achieve similar effects based on the information Shane revealed, it would mean the same opportunities for them.
In the end, this meant that they could hit two birds with one stone: fame and money. And this was an idea that would attract attention regardless of the type of school one belonged to.
There was no school that was particularly adept at handling essence.
In other words, the first to arrive would be the first to profit.
Naturally, it wasn’t just one person that drew so many people to the conference.
As this was the first conference in a long time, many mages took turns presenting their research on stage before disappearing.
However, the presentations barely registered with the audience, and even the presenters themselves seemed eager to finish quickly and focus on something else.
The reason was the material Shane had presented earlier.
Before the banquet that followed the conference began, Shane sat in a prepared carriage outside while facing someone.
It was the elder of the Kabeer Magic Tower, Caden.
With an extremely excited expression on his face, he asked Shane at length about the events in the Great Mezaiya Forest and Shane answered his questions earnestly.
Of course, Shane hid what needed to be hidden and continued speaking, and as Caden listened, his face gradually took on a serious expression.
“Gordon… that man was still alive.”
The reason was the existence of Gordon, the leader of the black mages who had disappeared due to a purge several decades ago.
However, just like he had agreed in his conversation with Raviata, Shane attributed Gordon’s death to Raviata.
Shane did not yet need the fame of having defeated such a black mage.
Anyway, since Raviata had confirmed Gordon’s death, a measure of relief appeared on Caden’s face as well.
“In any case, this presentation is going to cause quite a stir. You really do have…some cunning in you.”
Caden then smiled.
“At first glance, it might seem like you revealed the formula you created too easily… but you must have other plans, right?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
Despite Caden’s question, Shane nodded calmly and acknowledged it.
That was only natural.
Revealing the elves’ magic obtained from the Great Mezaiya Forest to the outside world just for a bit of fame would be a losing proposition.
So, it was only natural to gather as much as possible. This was an essential virtue for someone from a merchant family.
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