Chapter 185: The Blazing Fire (1)
When the man facing her was just a child.
The little boy spoke of unlucky things in a castle full of demons.
-I’m disabled.
-It seems so.
-Why are you picking a fight? Want to end up in jail again?
-Uh, whatever! If you want to fix your disability, you should look for a priest! Why are you freaking out at a magician?
-Damn it, I’m freaking out because it can’t be fixed! And don’t you see the holy sword? I’m telling you I’m a hero!
The little boy, brandishing a sword from who knows where, shouted as he slammed it down.
It was a pure white sword that felt immensely holy.
However, Seira did not believe that it was a holy sword.Having been Kyrie’s companion, Seira knew well what a holy sword looked like, and since Kyrie had disappeared after her death, the holy sword had vanished too.
Only after seeing it easily slash through demons did Seira begin to believe Shiron’s words.
-Young master!!! Go easy!!!!
-…A real holy sword? So you really are a hero?
-That’s right.
-No, why would a little kid like you be a hero?
-Just stop asking. If you’re so jealous, why don’t you carry the holy sword and become the hero?
-Keep talking.
-Just as you said, the task of saving the world has fallen to a worthy little kid like me, damn it, I can’t even use mana?
-So, what now?
-What do you think? Let the world be destroyed?
-You need to ‘cast’ magic for me.
The tiny boy spoke as if not asking Seira to become a companion, but rather a useful tool. However, Seira did not refuse Shiron’s request.
Seira did not want to let go of the thread that could remember her after 500 years. Shiron, fundamentally kind-hearted, treated Seira warmly, and despite a 700-year age difference, they quickly became like friends.
Thus, the two traveled alone for 5 years. Shiron never once asked Seira to teach him magic.
No matter how much Seira seemed to be playing at being powerful, her magical prowess was undeniable. If not for the curse, magicians worldwide would have sought her guidance.
But for Shiron, it was an entirely different matter. There were too many pressing issues to concern himself with a disability that might never be overcome.
Still, it wasn’t that he was entirely indifferent; occasionally, when Seira wielded her magic, his eyes would light up, but that was the extent of it.
This detached demeanor meant Seira never initiated the conversation…
“…It seems you had the determination to solve it.”
Given that he took time away from the expedition to transplant a dragon’s heart, he must have been truly eager to wield magic.
However, what mattered now was not whether Shiron had undergone a dragon’s heart transplant.
“…You transplanted Demodras’s heart?”
“Yeah, it works wonders. Reached two stars in less than a month.”
Shiron laughed heartily and thumped his chest. He still felt the vibrant pulsation of mana, which exhilarated him.
But oddly enough, Seira regarded Shiron with an expression that was neither clearly happy nor sad.
“So, what about… Demodras?”
“He’s still alive.”
Eager to avoid any misinterpretation, Shiron interrupted Seira mid-sentence. Yet, his concise reply did little to dispel Seira’s confusion.
“How can he be alive if you transplanted his heart? Did you bind him and cut open his chest?”
“…How heartless do you think I am?”
“Not at all?”
“Not in the slightest.”
Shiron was tempted to give Seira a noogie. What had happened to their usual easygoing and open communication?
To prevent any further misunderstandings, Shiron went on to describe the events that unfolded in the lair of the Fervent Dragon, and Seira blushed, realizing her foolish error.
“Ahem. A dragon giving away his heart. That kid is truly fortunate.”
“It wasn’t given for free. They told me to kill the Demon King, so it was a reasonable trade. Actually, I’m at a loss, having to kill the Demon King within 20 years. He gets to sleep for 20 years and just watches whether the world ends.”
“Fine, you’re great.”
Seira scolded Shiron but also sighed in relief.
Magicians were inherently scholars of the unknown. Thus, even if Seira and Demodras were enemies, there was a subtle flow of mutual recognition of each other’s achievements.
That too was destroyed overnight by a curse, but still, Seira had the grace to mourn Demodras to some extent.
“But it’s okay! I’m the best in the world!”
And Seira, who was liked by those around her, also had the magnanimity to heed requests without much fuss. Seira spoke enthusiastically, looking forward to the next day.
“Just in time!”
On the day they started formal magic lessons, Seira wore an appalling outfit that showed off her figure, unlike her usual nun’s attire.
[Hero, Ms. Seira is dressed like a seductress!]
‘Shh.’
Shiron tried hard not to be conscious of what Seira was wearing. Since she claimed it was her combat outfit for the past 500 years, Shiron didn’t really have a reason to stop her from wearing it.
Moreover, Seira seemed strangely happy at the moment.
People should be thankful that someone is enthusiastic about teaching, and even Shiron felt hesitant to criticize her merely for her attire.
“So, what kind of magic do you want to learn? Tell me anything. The greatest magician of all times, Ms. Seira, will kindly teach you!”
“Well, what should I learn?”
Shiron responded to the question with a question. It might seem like he was dumping all the responsibility on Seira, but this wasn’t because Shiron was lazy or steeped in rote learning.
Even if he were a possessor of a magical heart, Seira was the expert in magic.
Seira, capable of wielding thousands of spells, was the preeminent magician of both ancient and modern times. Testing her abilities was unnecessary; it was only logical for Shiron to entrust all magical matters to Seira.
“Heh, can’t be helped then.”
With a swing of her staff and a tap on the ground, Seira transformed the dusty training ground into a neatly tiled surface.
“If it’s true you’ve reached two stars within a month, that’s proof of your talent. From now on, that will be our starting point, so no complaints about the difficulty!”
“Yeah…”
“Why such a tepid response?”
“I have low blood pressure, so it tends to drop in the morning.”
Perhaps he should have chosen Demodras as a mentor instead. Shiron might well regret this decision.
It wasn’t that he found it hard to keep up with the energetic Seira; rather, it was that Seira showed her friendliness exclusively to Shiron.
Lucia was there, as were Siriel, and more recently, Hugo and Johan had also come to know Seira, but she only showed her affectionate side to Shiron.
Even as she became more outgoing, her shyness persisted. Nevertheless, Shiron thought it too severe to scold her for taking a step forward, so he chose to overlook her clinginess.
“First, let’s identify the type of magic you’re aiming for. The more specific your goal, the quicker you’ll achieve it.”
“Definitely offense.”
His response was immediate.
“Overwhelming power. I want the strength to vanquish any foe in my path. Ideally, I’d be able to instantly defeat even a Demon King. And I wouldn’t mind some defense as well—strong enough to make even gods think twice before challenging me.”
Shiron openly shared the ambitions he had been nurturing.
“To be honest, it feels a bit too greedy to ask for both offense and defense, so it would be great if it’s strong enough to kill before the enemy even realizes what’s happening. The moment I recognize an enemy, they should be dying. But if just thinking I want them dead actually kills them, I’d be a crazed murderer, so maybe a trigger phrase would be good, like ‘Split in half and die’, that really splits them in half and kills them.”
“Uh.”
Seira was taken aback by Shiron’s blatant desire. Shiron, clearly an adult, was shamelessly spouting words that seemed more befitting of a child who thought magic could do anything.
‘Did he read some fantasy novel?’
His words were so fantastical, it seemed almost like fiction. Seira thought it urgent to correct his thinking and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Hey?”
“What?”
“As much as magic makes the impossible possible, that’s not feasible.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. There are curses that can bring someone to the brink of death just by specifying a target, but even those have very stringent conditions.”
“…”
“Even sorcery has its limits, so how could magic possibly do that? There’s an old book called ‘The Classics of Magic’ from 500 years ago that says mana cannot directly interfere with life. Not just me, but many scholars interpret it to mean that instant death spells cannot exist.”
“Well, it’s just a wish. If it doesn’t work out, so be it.”
“Don’t be too down about it.”
Seira patted Shiron’s back, showing a hint of disappointment.
“But it’s not like there are absolutely no options.”
“What is it?”
“Just learn attack magic!”
Attack magic should be fired at a speed that the opponent could not perceive. That was what Seira was implying.
“You have to strike without thinking, without even needing to chant a spell. For that, elemental magic is perfect.”
“Can’t I use psychokinesis?”
“Psychokinesis is a headache. It requires a lot of thought. Haven’t you seen Siriel and Lucia use it? Even that monstrous Lucia gets knocked out quickly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, so choose one of the elements you like. Water? Or earth? Just so you know, summoning a giant meteor from the sky is summoning magic, not to be confused.”
Seira swung her staff, floating various elements in the air. There were as many as twelve choices to make.
“Lightning.”
Shiron spoke quietly.
Did she like that answer? Seira, smiling broadly, poked Shiron in the ribs.
“Smart choice, lightning is definitely the coolest! By the way, lightning is my favorite too…”
“Thinking about it, lightning doesn’t really appeal to me.”
Shiron changed his mind, realizing it overlapped with Seira’s preference.
“I’ll go with fire.”
“Fire is too cliché. How old-fashioned is that? Lightning is the trend now, even the academic city says the fire magic school is declining.”
“Why do you care if I want to use fire?”
“In large battles, lightning is the best. It can also disrupt the energy flow in commercial fights, and you can wrap it around a weapon to strike.”
“Hmm…”
“And how fast is it? It somewhat matches the instant-kill ability you dream of.”
“Huh…”
‘I don’t like overlapping with this guy.’
Shiron’s dilemma was more serious than any he had faced in nearly a decade.