“...So you’re saying that…,” in order to speak these words, Lovellian first had to pick up his dropped jaw, “young Eugene used the Core of the White Flame Formula as a Circle and used it to cast magic.”
“Yes, sir,” Hera confirmed.
“Without any mistakes, he was immediately able to summon a Fireball, and then, without dispelling it, he converted it into a Magic Missile…?”
“Yes, sir.”
“This magic missile then knocked your carbium golem onto its back?”
“It hit right here, sir,” Hera said as she pointed to the golem’s chest. Indeed, there was a crater there that had been left from the impact.
Lovellian looked at it for a moment before chuckling, “...Ho ho. That sure looks like quite a hit.”
“It was his first time casting magic, but it hit dead center,” Hera remarked in amazement.
“How pure was the carbium?”
“The outer surface was completely made of carbium, sir.”
“And you didn’t cast a defensive enchantment on top of that?”
“I hadn’t gotten to it yet.”
“Is this really possible?” Lovellian murmured as he traced the scars on the golem with his hand.
Although a defensive enchantment hadn’t been cast on it, carbium was a flexible metal that was even able to shed attacks of considerable power. It should be impossible for the offensive spell of a young wizard hatchling, who had just learned magic, to pierce the carbium shell.
“...The purity and density of his mana was absurd.” As she recalled the amazement that she had felt at the time, Hera continued speaking, “So much so that it was hard to believe that he was just a novice wizard. No matter what type of magic he could have chosen to cast, the power of his offensive spell would probably be greater than that of a Third Circle wizard.”
“...Hm…,” Lovellian’s brows rose as he gave a low hum. ‘I did hear that Eugene was at the Third Star of the White Flame Formula.’
For him to have reached the Third Star at the age of seventeen was unprecedented. If Eugene had ended up not showing any great talent for magic, Gilead had requested that Lovellian persuade Eugene to return to the main estate for further training.
‘The White Flame Formula creates stars around the heart as a form of Core. The Cores of martial arts and the Circles of magic are different… but he was able to substitute the mana from a Circle with that of the White Flame Formula all on his own?’
That was a monstrous level of talent, to the point where he might actually feel fear instead of admiration. A seventeen-year child had actually been able to showcase such mana control without making any errors and had substituted the mana system from a martial art for that of the Circles.
Could a Core really be used for magic? It theoretically wasn’t impossible. Among those rare magic swordsmen whose names were renowned, a few could cast magic using their own unique methods. However, he had never heard of someone using a Core in place of a Circle.
In the first place, was there any need for that? A Circle was a Circle, and a Core was a Core. If you wanted to increase your mana control, it was overwhelmingly more efficient to just create a new Circle.
‘Is the White Flame Formula just that special?’
He couldn’t ignore such a possibility. After all, the creator of the White Flame Formula was the Great Vermouth. Vermouth had been known as the Master-of-All as he was equally skilled in magic as he was in martial arts. However, in the present, it was impossible to know for sure whether Vermouth had used Circles to cast magic or a different method entirely.
However, following Vermouth, there had never been any other wizard born to the main family who could be called an Archwizard.
‘At a guess, does the Third Star of the White Flame Formula correspond to a Third Circle wizard?’
The Wise Sienna had divided the various different spells according to the number of Circles needed to cast them. First Circle wizards could not use Third Circle spells. This was because the mana generated by a First Circle fell far short of the mana needed to cast a Third Circle spell.
Of course, this wasn’t an absolute standard. Sometimes, there were a few rare geniuses who could cast high-level magic that exceeded the limits of their own Circle. Lovellian was one such example. When he had reached the Third Circle, he had been able to cast all sorts of magic up to the Fifth Circle.
“...Did you say that Eugene has gone out?” Lovellian eventually asked.
“Yes. He said he had an appointment and left before noon,” Hera replied.
“That’s fortunate,” Lovellian said as he stepped away from the golem.
Sitting down at his desk, he looked up at Hera and called, “Hera.”
“Yes, Head Wizard,” she responded.
“Do you think it would seem absurd for me to write a letter of recommendation requesting Eugene’s entry into Akron?”
“...Huh?” Hera’s eyes widened into circles.
Akron was the name of Aroth’s Royal Library. Only a few high-ranking wizards of the Towers of Magic, nobles of high status, and members of royalty were allowed entry into that place.
As deserving of such a famous library, Akron was filled with magic texts far superior to those found in all the Towers of Magic. Even taking into account the whole of the Red Tower of Magic, fewer than ten wizards were allowed entry in Akron.
“That’s…,” Hera hesitated.
“I don’t think it would be too unreasonable,” Lovellian murmured as he crossed his arms in thought. “I believe that he deserves the opportunity. At the young age of seventeen, he was able to cast magic with a Core in place of a Circle, and this was as soon as he started learning magic. Furthermore, there wasn’t anyone who taught him any magic, right? Hera, would you happen to have taught Eugene anything?”
“...I did answer a few of his questions,” Hera admitted.
“What sort of questions?”
“They were just questions about the basic structures of spells.”
“So you’re saying that you haven’t taught him anything else about magic, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
Lovellian unconsciously burst into laughter.
“If that’s the case, that means Eugene was able to use magic after only reading introductory texts on magic for a month, and then he was even able to use a Core in place of a Circle. Without any advice from a high-ranking wizard, he was able to do so based purely on his own judgment and knowledge. And the spell that he cast through this method was able to bore a hole through the armor of a carbium golem,” Lovellian summed up the situation.
“...Yes, that’s right, sir,” Hera agreed, still in disbelief.
“Hera, do you know what we call someone capable of doing such things?”
“A genius.”
“No, he’s a monster,” as he said this, Lovellian waved a finger. A desk drawer popped open, and a blank sheet of paper flew towards Lovellian. “That’s why I’ve decided to write Eugene a letter of recommendation. It’s definitely not unreasonable. If he really is a monster of such talent, he should receive the appropriate treatment.”
“...I’m afraid that the other wizards might be dissatisfied by this,” Hera brought up hesitantly.
“And you?”
“It doesn’t matter to me. Because I saw what Master Eugene was capable of firsthand.”
“Then it’s fine. You don’t feel dissatisfied because you saw Eugene’s talent. That means that what Eugene has accomplished is just that amazing,” as he said this, Lovellian grabbed a pen and began writing his letter of recommendation on the blank sheet of paper. “If they’re still dissatisfied once they know the truth, that just means that they’re refusing to acknowledge the facts and are blinded by their jealousy.”
Of course, permission to enter Akron could not be guaranteed with Lovellian’s letter of recommendation alone, but that didn’t matter much. If he needed to, Lovellian was prepared to argue with the other Tower Masters; if that didn’t resolve the issue, Lovellian could just personally retrieve any magical texts and lend them to Eugene.
‘Or else I could have him enter on my behalf as my disciple.’
Wouldn’t that actually be the better option? Lovellian considered this seriously as he looked over the letter of recommendation that he had just written.
Lovellian suddenly recalled something, “...By the way, what sort of appointment did Eugene leave to attend? There shouldn’t be anyone he’s familiar with in Aroth.”
“He said he was going out to meet a friend,” Hera answered.
“A friend?” Lovellian asked.
When did Eugene make a friend in Aroth? Lovellian tilted his head in curiosity as he stamped his seal onto the letter of recommendation.
* * *
Meriden Square, in front of the Green Tower of Magic.
A tall statue stood in the center of this square, named after Sienna’s last name. It was a statue of Sienna holding a staff in her right hand and a grimoire in her left.
‘This one also looks better than the real thing,’ Eugene thought as he looked up at the statue.
Just like the portrait, the face of the statue seemed a little more beautiful than the image of Sienna that Eugene recalled. No, maybe it was actually identical to its real-life inspiration? Eugene wondered as he gazed up at the statue’s face.
In his memories, Sienna’s face was often showing annoyance. After all, Helmuth was a place filled with all sorts of bullshit, and their journey was also arduous. That damned place was a hell where you couldn’t help but get frustrated.
—Please, I’m begging you.
—That’s why… that’s why I told you to just go back. Why did you have to follow us so stubbornly…?
But rather than her annoyed expression, the most vivid memory that Eugene had of her was of her crying as tears fell from her reddened eyes….
—Please, you can’t die.
—You can’t… you just can’t. Please, Hamel.
The memories at the moment he died were a bit hazy and he hadn’t been able to clearly hear what had been happening around him…. In any case, that was what he believed Sienna had said. Eugene scratched his hand in frustration before venting with a sigh.
The statue’s face wasn’t tearful. Instead, it had a confident smile. Eugene recognized that face. The easily-annoyed Sienna used to put on such an expression whenever she had managed to accomplish something great with her magic and turned to look at him smugly.
“...I guess it isn’t that different from the real person,” Eugene mumbled as he turned around.
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