Chapter 7
The massive city walls of Wyheim are artifacts created by a mage named Grimbel, who reached the level of an archmage in armament spellcraft.
While ordinary armament spellcraft could only construct weapons like swords, shields, and spears, Grimbel was a monster who went beyond that to create fortresses and siege weapons. He not only elevated armament spellcraft from a third-rate magic to orthodox magic but also created a new magical system for armament spellcraft, becoming a great master.
It wasn’t for nothing that Grimbel was mentioned as one of the archmages who founded Wyheim. The Alliance leader honored him by composing the guards of Wyheim's city walls only of those who, like Grimbel, had mastered armament spellcraft.
This tradition continued to this very day.
"Is this an officially issued pass?" Hans, one of the mages guarding the city wall, said as he waved the pass handed over by a merchant.
The merchant nodded with a confident expression.
"Why are you asking such an obvious question? It's an officially issued pass through the Alliance."
"Hmm..."
"More importantly, please let me in quickly. I've been waiting for over an hour already. It would be better to enter quickly for the sake of the people behind me, too,” the merchant said, pointing to the long line stretching behind him.
But Hans didn't budge.
He took out a crystal ball with a hole in it, which all guards carry, and inserted the pass into it. It was a magic tool created to verify if the pass was genuine. If genuine, the crystal ball would emit a yellow light, and if fake, a red light. The pass handed by the merchant emitted a red light as soon as it entered the crystal ball.
There was nothing more to see. Hans clicked his tongue and tore the pass to shreds. At this merciless action, the merchant jumped up and flushed red.
"N-no! No, what are you doing tearing it up like that!!!"
"Your pass was not genuine. Therefore, following proper procedures, I deny you entry."
"What nonsense is this! Do you know how much I paid for that pass!?"
"Most passes not directly issued through discussions with the Alliance are fake. Please inquire about fraud at the place where you purchased the pass, and now step aside. As you said, there are many people waiting behind you."
"T-this is—!"
The merchant approached Hans with veins popping on his neck. But he couldn't take more than one step. A golden longsword had suddenly appeared at his waist, where there was nothing before. The longsword constructed by armament spellcraft emitted an ominous mana just by existing.
"...Damn it."
The merchant cursed under Hans's cold gaze and turned around. He then got on the carriage he had brought and started moving in the opposite direction of Wyheim. Hans only turned his head towards the next visitor when the merchant's figure was no longer visible.
"...?"
It was then. Hans saw a child wearing a conical hat walking towards the city wall, deviating from the line.
The sight of him walking while gazing at the towering city walls with interested eyes, dressed in shabby clothes, unlike his luxurious hat, was quite incongruous.
"...Haa."
There are a lot of tiresome things today.
Thinking this, Hans excused himself to a mage who was next in line after the merchant, and called out to the approaching child.
"Hey—"
Although he didn't raise his voice much, the voice imbued with magical power was more than enough to reach the child. The child turned his head towards Hans at the voice that gently penetrated his ears. Then his face, which had been hidden by the hat, was fully visible.
He has a pretty face.
That was the extent of his impression. Hans made a gesture, telling the child looking at him to go away, as if annoyed.
"Kid, if you want to enter Wyheim, get in line. Or hold your mother's hand tightly."
"I don't have a mother, though?"
A sudden critical hit. Hans cleared his throat, feeling the gaze of the mage looking at him like trash.
"Ahem... Then join the line. I won't let you in first just because you came from the side."
"But my master told me to come this way?"
"Master...?"
Master, he says.
Hans frowned and glared at the child.
Has he developed delusions at such a young age?
Becoming a mage's disciple at a young age? It was a common thing. But that was a story that applied to the children of noble families, not to citizens wearing such shabby clothes.
To begin with, people like that might see a mage once or twice in their lifetime. Even nobles find it difficult to see mages a few times, let alone commoners. And yet he says “master”. Moreover, claiming to be the disciple of a mage who could freely pass through Wyheim without formal entry procedures. It was nonsense.
Still, Hans opened his mouth, thinking “what if”, "What's your master's name?"
"Ena Renatus."
"...Who?"
"Ena Renatus. She said everyone would know if I mentioned ‘Genesis?"
Of course, it was a name he knew. He also knew the alias “Genesis”. But Hans couldn't help but freeze on the spot.
The first reason was that an unexpected big shot's name popped up from the child's words, and upon closer inspection, the second reason was that the hat the child was wearing was exactly the same as the one Ena usually wore.
Moreover, when he overlaid his eyes with magical power, he could even see lightning sparking from the hat.
There was no room for doubt. There was only one person on the continent who possessed such destructive and threatening lightning-natured mana
"I greet the disciple of Lady Ena."
Hans immediately bowed his head to Acel.
The disciples of archmages belonging to the Alliance gained high status just by being who they were. The first meeting with such people was extremely important. After the first meeting, it didn't matter much, but at least for the first meeting, one had to treat them according to their status. That was the tradition.
So it was natural for Hans to suddenly change his attitude. But Acel was bewildered by the sight of this burly stranger suddenly bowing to him.
"Uh, um..."
"..."
An awkward confrontation continued like this. Acel scratched his cheek while looking at Hans' crown, which was starting to go bald, and Hans stared blankly at the ground, blinking his eyes.
When will he tell me to raise my head?
When will he raise his head?
Parallel thoughts passed through the minds of the two. Acel had never experienced casually addressing someone much older than him, and Hans didn't think that Ena might not have informed him about Wyheim's traditions.
This confrontation between the two continued until Ena and Evelyn returned, having miniaturized their carriage.
"...What are you doing?" Ena asked, blinking at the strange scene unfolding before her eyes.
Acel looked at Ena adjusting her hat and shook his head as if he didn't know either. Ena lightly ruffled her disciple's hair and shifted her gaze to Hans.
"Raise your head."
Hans immediately straightened his upper body at those low words. Even while doing so, he didn't directly meet Ena's gaze. There was no particular need to do so, but Hans showed the utmost courtesy to one of the most prominent archmages in Wyheim.
He immediately knelt on one knee, slightly bowed his head, and said, "I greet the archmage of the Alliance."
"Mm. Can we enter?"
Ena went straight to the point. Hans answered as if accustomed to it, "Of course."
"Good. Keep up the good work."
"Yes! Please take care!"
Ena waved her hand at Hans and moved her steps inside the city wall. Acel and Evelyn followed right behind Ena. As Acel passed by Hans, who was bowing deeply, he muttered in a small voice, "Thank you for your hard work."
Evelyn also added a word, "Why is your head empty?"
Hans didn't hold back.
Bonk.
"Ouch!"
***
"This is the newly released external mana source! Mages who want to test it, please line up here!"
"An ancient magical text brought from the Demon Realm will be auctioned today. Those interested, please drop by."
"T-this is a new potion my master made! If you drink it, your fallen hair will grow back-"
"Five gold coins!"
"Six gold coins! Bring it here right now!"
"Kyaa, kyaaaa!!"
Noisy sounds could be heard from all directions. Acel looked around with interested eyes as he walked through Wyheim's bustling streets. Although he had expected a static atmosphere in the city of mages, the streets were surprisingly lively.
As he shifted his gaze, he saw huge golems walking with heavy footsteps. Their backs were loaded with brilliantly sparkling gems, all of high quality that had grown by containing mana for a long time.
"Those are gems provided to gem mages. The better the quality of the gem and the more mana it contains, the higher the spell efficiency," Ena explained, reading his gaze.
Acel nodded with an "Ah" of admiration.
Gem mages, huh? So there are mages who handle magic through gems.
Acel wondered just how many types of magic existed as he continued to follow Ena. Meanwhile, something moved quickly across the sky. A huge shadow fell on the ground, and Acel and Evelyn looked up.
Screech!
What was gliding over the vast land was a monstrous bird covered in flames. The enormous bird, spreading a large amount of heat around as it moved, felt mystical just to look at. Acel stared at the bird circling in the sky with his mouth open.
It's a being made of mana.
He instinctively realized the essence of that bird. The mana he had vaguely awakened while watching the battle between Gerbil and Ena had expanded his senses. Thanks to this, he could faintly detect not only the bird's essence but also the lingering traces of numerous spells spread throughout Wyheim, as well as the barriers.
[Hmm?]
At that moment, the giant monstrous bird sensed Acel's gaze and slightly lowered its head. Then Acel's and the bird's eyes met. Acel flinched at those fiercely burning eyes, but regardless, the bird observed him up and down, then muttered in a voice tinged with laughter.
[Well, well, another strange monster has entered.]
That voice was transmitted to Acel through mana. More precisely, it was transmitted only to him. The messages sent by spirits could not be heard by anyone except the designated target.
"..."
But Ena detected that subtle mana residue and slightly raised her head towards the bird. The bird, meeting her blue gaze, twisted its mouth crookedly and flapped its wings.
[Looking again, it seems a monster has brought another monster? A being brought by the mage who tears the sky with lightning...]
"Parnin," Ena murmured in a low voice.
Then the bird called Parnin burst into giggles.
[I get it, I get it. I'll continue on my way. My contractor is already urging me to hurry. Probably wants to do some weird experiment again.]
"..."
[Well then, see you next time. Two monsters and one human.]
Parnin left those words and gave its wings one big sweep. At the same time, its form became a single flame and disappeared instantly beyond the horizon. Acel's eyes sparkled as he looked at the red trajectory left in the sky. Ena stared at him blankly for a while, then smiled slightly and turned her gaze away.
Let's just let him be amazed.
There was no need to immediately run to Acel and tell him that Parnin was actually a high-ranking fire spirit who had escaped from the spirit realm because it was bored, and its contractor was a crazy arsonist.
Instead, she just patted Acel's shoulder as he stood still. Only then did Acel come to his senses and start walking again, following Ena.
About ten minutes passed like that. Before they knew it, a lush forest had spread around the three instead of the busy downtown. The eerie atmosphere typical of forests was not felt at all. Only vast amounts of mana and life force floated in the air.
Acel sensed the mana circling around him and lightly waved his hand. Then the mana gently brushed past between his fingers. Although he couldn't feel it in detail, Acel thought the sensation was like a child throwing a tantrum, asking to play.
The mana that brushed past didn't just move away but started to wrap around Acel again.
Suddenly, he remembered what Gerbil had said. Something about having excellent mana affinity and sensitivity. He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but Acel guessed it might mean that mana acted friendly like this.
He couldn't feel it in the slums, but after vaguely awakening to mana and magical power and coming to a place rich in mana, he could clearly recognize their presence. Although he couldn't feel their self-awareness, he could definitely perceive the purity of the mana.
It feels nice.
Acel smiled slightly as he felt the lingering sensation of mana passing through his bangs.
Ena, who already knew of his talent, smiled gently at this sight.
On the other hand, Evelyn covered her mouth with her hand, thinking her brother might have suddenly gone strange. But Acel paid no attention to them and enjoyed the mana enveloping his body.
As they walked a bit further, Ena suddenly stopped and opened her mouth, "We've arrived."
At that calm voice, Acel, who had been intoxicated by mana, returned to reality. He raised his head and shifted his gaze to where Ena was pointing.
"This is our home."
There stood a mansion so imposing that just looking at it made one feel small. White lightning roughly enveloped the main gate, and lightning writhed above the lightning rod stuck at the top of the mansion, scattering electric currents all over the place.
Crack.
Small sparks flew where the lightning touched. Along with this, magic tools carelessly scattered around the garden began to wriggle as if they had come to life.
A scissor-like object cut the sparsely grown trees, and white lightning poured from a teapot, burning fallen leaves and twigs. Besides these, the sound of lightning striking could be heard all over the place.
No matter how one looked at it, it wasn't a normal mansion. Acel's mouth fell open at the lightning striking wildly around, and Evelyn's lips trembled as she muttered softly, "...Is this an execution ground?"