When I reached the rooftop, I found a larger space than expected, with a large magic circle drawn on it.
It seemed that the research on magic circles was mainly conducted here, and it was designed to be rewritten. Besides the magic circle, there were various other items prepared, such as glass bottles and ceramic jars. Perhaps they made healing potions here too.
As I looked around at the unusual sight, Strass and Eliza approached.
"… How is it?"
"What do you mean, how is it?"
Eliza, translating for Strass's brief question, laughed and pointed at the magic circle. "I think he's asking if the magic circle functions properly."
"Ah, I see." I nodded at Eliza's explanation and examined the magic circle again. It was a conventional design based on a circle. However, the use of characters and patterns was inconsistent. Even so, it should still activate, albeit inefficiently.
"It will activate, but it will consume a lot of mana due to the inefficiencies."
As soon as I spoke, the sound of heavy footsteps came from behind me.
"… Hmm, inefficient, you say?"
It was Balblair. Wearing a black cloak, perhaps for outside, she exuded the aura of a dark magician. She looked at me with an amused expression, arms crossed.
I hadn't come to pick a fight, but when it came to magic research, it was best to be honest. After all, it would ultimately contribute to improving the magic of Maple Leaf.
Thinking of this, I shared my thoughts on the magic circle. "Judging by the characters, this is for using fire magic. I was expecting a healing magic circle, so it’s a bit surprising. The circle includes features for shape transformation, wall creation, separation, and movement of fire. However, the shape transformation and wall creation are overlapping, which will result in significant energy loss."
When Cameron heard my analysis of the magic circle, his eyes widened in surprise. "Incredible… To be able to understand the effect of the magic circle at a glance…"
Ignoring Cameron's astonishment, Balblair rubbed her chin. "Hmm. So, how would you rewrite this magic circle, Aoi-dono?"
I began explaining my thoughts on the circle's features. "First, if we consider this the front, it will be better to channel the mana in one direction. The characters and patterns should be arranged counterclockwise. We can leave the shape transformation and wall creation as is and add enhancements for increased intensity and temperature. The issue is with the separation and movement. As it stands, it's unclear how the fire will move. If you want to move a wall of fire, you should specify the direction and speed. What do you think?"
After sharing my ideas, I left the final decision to Balblair. Everyone's eyes turned to her.
She crossed her arms again and closed her eyes for a moment. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes with a clear smile. "I see. Based on past experimental results, I can trust your words."
With that, Balblair stepped forward to stand in front of the magic circle. "Our previous experiments showed that the circle would fail unless mana was channeled in the way Aoi-dono described. Channeling mana from the right often led to failures or incomplete activations."
Everyone turned their attention to me again. Sensing their gazes, I stood beside Balblair and looked down at the magic circle. "What would you like to do? If it's okay to rewrite this circle, should we try?"
A burst of laughter interrupted my question. "Hahaha! This magic circle was developed by a group of teachers who studied ancient magic circles and refined it through trial and error. I never expected anyone to suggest rewriting it so easily…"
"I apologize. If you wish to preserve this, we can create a new one elsewhere."
"No, that's not it. It's just that even though we’ve finally managed to create a few magic circles by groping around in the dark, Aoi-dono's research has progressed so far to the point where you can redraw a magic circle you've never seen before. To be honest, I was so surprised that I couldn't help laughing."
Balblair’s laugh surprised Cameron, who mumbled in confusion, "But… no matter what country it is, research on magic circles shouldn't be that advanced…"
It was a quiet mutter, but Balblair picked up on it immediately. "Cameron, don't escape into wishful thinking. In magical research, the most important thing was the results. You should be happy to have found valuable clues to further our research. It's far better than being outpaced by other countries without even realizing it."
"Y-yes…!" Cameron straightened his back and responded to Balblair's slightly angry words.
Balblair had a military-like demeanor. I didn’t think we were similar at all…