Bab 7: Chapter 7
A few months later.
In addition to water magic, Dale's mastery of necromancy was improving day by day.
The news that the Black Magic Tower lord had officially accepted his son as his disciple spread quickly and widely.
No matter how hard you try to hide, some things cannot be hidden. This is especially true for a talent as brilliant as Dale.
Magic and swordsmanship, in addition to noble manners, horseback riding, and all the knowledge he needed to learn as the eldest son who would lead the duke's family in the future. The following year, when Dale turned 9 years old, people did not hesitate to call him the Duke's prodigy, referring to his talent.
It was no one else but the son of the Duke of Jackson.
The greatest necromancer and warlock on the continent, the successor to the Black Duke.
His father's pledge not to teach his children the dark arts, the breaking of that covenant caused quite a stir throughout the empire.
In other words, the entire empire began to watch Dale's movements.
* * *
The sunlight breaks into golden light and scatters across the pure white plain. The footprints of two people are engraved along the snow-covered, pure white plain, and at the end of them, the shadows of the two people face each other.
Sepia, a snow elf with eyes as blue as sapphires. And it was Dale of Jackson, the prodigy of the dukedom.
"Don't hesitate and attack with all your might."
Elf wizard of the 6th circle, Sepia opened her mouth with a more serious expression than usual.
The easiest and fastest way for a teacher to understand a student's accomplishments is a magic duel. It allows the disciple to directly experience and receive the swirling magic with all his might.
However, Sepia's eyes, dealing with a rookie who was only nine years old and at the level of a 1st circle master, were filled with the caution of a wizard in the middle of a battlefield.
Silence fell. And the moment the feather of silence fell on the pure white plain.
"Arise, 'united' wall of ice."
Dale finally spoke the words of the spell.
A wizard's spell is through "verbalization of images," a process of self-suggestion that firmly establishes one's own image. And Dale induced a conscious bias by adding the modifier "union" to the commonly used ice wall spell.
The power of suggestion of 'verbalized formulas' is stronger than that of formulas that are unconsciously engraved.
Coo!
A huge wall of ice rose up, blocking the gap between Dale and Sepia.
Ice Wall.
Elemental magic is closely affected by the surrounding climate, etc. Even if it is a beginner's cold magic, its power is amplified several times when cast in such cold, frozen ground. There is no way Sepia wouldn't know that either.
An ice wall 5 meters high and wide, and 1 meter thick. Considering the situation, it is a normal-sized ice wall that is nothing special compared to an average wizard.
'Even so…'
Sepia is a high-ranking mage who has reached the 6th circle of water attribute. It wasn't that difficult to see the logic behind Dale's ice wall.
'The density of ice has become extremely high.'
Molecular bonding.
By adding a bonding formula that strengthens the attraction between ice molecules, a density several times that of a normal ice wall was secured. If that formula had not been used, an incredibly large ice wall would have been formed.
'But what was the reason for building a wall of ice?'
Thinking like that, Sepia pulled the reins of vigilance.
Blah, blah.
'…!'
"Yutan (榴彈)."
A crack resembling a turtle's shell appeared along the wall of ice, and Dale chanted the spell again.
Incantation is ultimately a process of verbalization of an image, or in other words, a process of self-suggestion to solidify the image.
An image (archetype) that is universally shared by peoples, countries, cultures, and times beyond the level of individual consciousness.
In order to become a magic spell, such powerful symbols and self-suggestive images are needed. And, at least in Dale's original world, the word existed in 'a very definite form of image.'
Kaang!
The front of the ice wall shattered and began to explode like a grenade. Countless ice fragments were scattered and spread in all directions.
Fragments imbued with blue razor-sharp edges. Freeze grenade.
'…!'
Only then did Sepia realize why Dale had increased the density of the ice wall, and she swallowed her breath in astonishment.
'Cohesion and Fragmentation.'
When an extremely compressed block of ice breaks its outer layer into small pieces, creating a freezing explosion that maximizes the fragmentation effect. Each scattered piece of ice will rival the blade of an assassin at its peak.
A technique that is only possible because Dale has the image of a modern weapon called a grenade.
It would probably be impossible for anyone in this world to draw such an image from the spell that Dale came up with. Because there is no such thing in this world that can be brought out through such verbalization.
But for Dale, it existed. 'Weapons of another world' that people in this world cannot dare to imagine, and their images.
In the fight between hunters and monsters, extremely advanced modern weapons played a significant role. Furthermore, the military knowledge he possessed as the commander-in-chief of the Human Death Unit was in no way comparable to that of a civilian.
He doesn't need to be a scientist. Magic is ultimately the materialization of images, the power to turn imagination into reality.
And the image that Dale embodied was a landscape that people in this world could not even imagine.
A hellish battlefield where guns, missiles, explosive gunpowder, and all types of thermal weapons pour out endless fire.
A scene of carnage that no one in this world knows about. The image that Dale's spell brought out was a fragment of that hellish battlefield.
Blades forged like those of high-ranking assassins rushed towards Sepia.
Even the blade was so small and fine that it was impossible to cut it off one by one. Because it was literally a grenade.
'This is absolutely not a child's idea.'
The destructive power is completely different from when I used to cast an ice explosion without a chant. Sepia's expression was distorted in shock at the scattering of grenade fragments.
The ice blade began to cut Sepia's body apart. It was torn to pieces beyond recognition, making it impossible to distinguish the corpse.
"teacher!"
Dale took a deep breath. His heart sank. However, Sepia's body, which was hit directly by Dale's ice grenade, did not splatter with blood or internal organs.
There are only traces of destruction, like an elaborate ice sculpture being broken. Only then did Dale realize.
'Illusion!'
After realizing, he quietly turned his head away.
"Dale."
Sepia was now behind Dale, watching him with a cautious expression. Dale just held his breath.
A single bloodied line was drawn along Sepia's pure white cheek. Drops of blood flowed down from that wound.
"That wound…"
"Are you afraid that I might be dead?"
Sepia asked.
And the meaning of that question was by no means light.
"I never had the intention to kill you."
Dale nodded his head hesitantly. he was never good at lying or pretense.
Nevertheless, what was embedded in his magic was the slaughter technique to kill Sepia with all his might. Dale also realized that fact.
"You are very good at using water magic. If you are so skillful at using magic, why are you intimidated?"
Sepia laughed bitterly, mocking herself again for her immaturity.
"On the contrary, as your teacher, I am very happy that you have sincerely used your magic."
Sepia continued. Dale blinked at the unexpected words.
"You didn't hide your true self and revealed it honestly, with full force, without even the slightly holding back."
"Teacher…"
"Is there any clearer proof that you trust me more than that?"
Saying that, Sepia quietly hugged young Dale.
"I'm very proud of you, my disciple," Sepia said as if she were admonishing herself.
"Really?"
"I am truly a lucky teacher to have such a great student."
"It's all thanks to what you have taught me, teacher."
Sepia nodded her head again. Only then did Dale smile—a smile befitting someone his age, very wide.
Sepia also responded with the same smile.
A wizard who makes full use of the two major attributes of water and darkness and is close to completing the 2nd circle. Dealing with not even one but double properties requires not just double but a square of effort.
But Sepia was able to understand Dale's true fear. It is not the speed of achievement.
Magic is ultimately the materialization of the world of images, the power to overlay imagination onto reality.
So, what on earth will the complete image that this child will develop in this world look like in the future? Furthermore, what exactly is the landscape of 'Dale's world' that will be overlaid on this world? She couldn't figure it out.
Sepia simply blessed her disciple's growth.
She pretended not to notice the ominous feeling running up her spine.
That night, the Duke of Jackson's office.
While reporting Dale's performance as usual, the black duke held his breath at Sepia's unexpected appearance.
"Elder sepia, what happened for there to be a wound on your cheek?"
A single wound opened up on the elf wizard's cheek. The Blue Magic Tower's water-based magic specializes in protecting one's own body and disturbing the opponent. And the fact that there were wounds on the blue wizard's body had no small significance, even if it was an insignificant stab wound.
"Could it be the 'Assassins of the Mountain (Hashishin)'...?"
Assassin of the Mountain. As the Black Duke cautiously opened his mouth, Sepia quietly shook her head.
"It happened due to my inexperience during the magical duel with Young master Dale."
"...!"
Sepia said with a wry smile. Dale. At that name, the Black Duke's expression showed a hint of agitation that could not be hidden.
"I sent a letter to the Blue Tower saying that my stay at the duchy will likely be longer than expected."
"I owe you an unrepayable debt, Elder Sepia."
"Thank you. It is a pleasure for me to teach such a talented student."
Sepia smiled quietly, recalling Dale's daily growth and progress. "I'm just grateful that you said that."
The Black Duke continued speaking calmly.
"So, without any hesitation, I would like to ask you one thing about Dale."
"Are you saying it's something you'd like to ask me to do?"
"Not long ago, we received intelligence that a group of orcs from the Demon King Territory began crossing the White Mountains."
Sepia sighed quietly.
"The orc threat itself is insignificant. We can probably handle it by summoning a small cavalry unit."
"What do you mean?"
"That's why I want to involve Dale in this battle."
"No, Prince Dale is still..."
"I'm not asking Dale to make a 'great achievement' on the battlefield."
However, the Duke of Jackson quietly interrupted her.
"It is the Jackson family's duty to subdue the monsters flooding the territory and take responsibility for its safety. Dale, as the eldest son who will take on the dukedom, Dale would also need to understand his duties."
'It's so harsh.'
But Sepia couldn't bear to put those words into her mouth. A father's love for his son would not be any different just because of this man.
Nevertheless, this is the fate bestowed upon those who carry on the blood of the duke.
"So, what specifically do you want me to do?"
"While I am preparing to go on a campaign, I would like to pass on one of my artefacts to Dale for use in case of emergency."
An Artefact. Sepia, understanding the meaning, quietly took a deep breath.
"An artefact of darkness… … ."
"I hope Elder Sepia will guide Dale so that he can control his power."
Sepia nodded her head without hesitation at the black Duke's request.
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