The first thing Martina begins to do is advance the construction of the return magic circle, based on the knowledge of magic circles she has gathered so far.
At the moment, there isn’t even a rough framework for the magic circle, so she starts by creating that.
“The return magic circle, like summoning and teleportation, is a magic circle that moves people. Therefore, the common parts between the two magic circles are likely to be the same in the return magic circle…”
Martina places a large sheet of paper on the wide table in the library and begins to draw the common elements of the two magic circles that she visualizes in her mind.
The magic circle, drawn without any preliminary sketches, is incredibly beautiful. It’s a scene that demonstrates Martina’s unique talent.
(This part will include words to specify the target of the transfer. For the saint summoning, I wrote the sentence to specify the saint, but since this time I’m sending the person on the summoning circle, I wonder if it will be the same as the teleportation magic circle…)
Without breaking her concentration, she continues moving her hands diligently.
“The return magic circle may be more similar to the teleportation magic circle than the summoning one. However, the teleportation magic of the Ghazal Kingdom used a pair of magic circles, which is not feasible for returning to another world…”
Martina considers how Haruka can return to her original place and what the right specification should be. She brings together all the information on magic circles she has, but no effective solution comes to mind with her current knowledge.
Martina takes a break, lifting her face from the paper and stretching her body. When she checks the time, over an hour has already passed.
“Martina, with your current knowledge, how much can you build so far?”
Seeing that Martina stopped, Laforet, who had been nearby, asked her.
“Laforet-sama, well… I would say about 80%. However, the remaining 20% is the crucial part. Specifically, specifying the destination for teleportation is difficult.”
“That’s true. It’s a place even we can hardly imagine.”
“Yes, exactly. So, I considered relying on Haruka’s image or specifying the destination based on the clothes Haruka wore, but I’m not sure how to incorporate that into the magic circle…”
Although Martina has mastered the language used in magic circles, the textbooks are limited, leaving her knowledge insufficient. Additionally, magic circles don’t just allow freewriting in the designated language; there are many rules that must be followed.
It’s not easy to complete a magic circle by simply adding new information.
“It might be faster if I try it myself in parallel with you searching for solutions in past records, Laforet-sama. For example, if it’s a magic circle that can teleport to a location I imagine, I could test it within the palace by teleporting nearby.”
“That sounds good. Then I’ll leave that to you, Martina. We’ll look into any records about the summoning of past saints and research on return magic circles, and also gather more literature on teleportation magic.”
Martina nodded in agreement with Laforet’s suggestion, indicating her approval.
“If we can find that information, it will be extremely helpful. But I don’t think it will be easy to find…”
Even in the Raksaria Kingdom, there was a strange lack of information about magic circles, and there is little remaining even across the continent.
It was as if someone had intentionally erased the information.
Considering that it happened a thousand years ago, it makes sense that there wouldn’t be accurate records, but Martina had always felt uneasy about it.
“Indeed. This may take a long time.”
Nodding at Laforet’s response, Martina began to think about another thing she was curious about.
(What kind of civilization existed on this continent before the Dark Age?)
The world purification caused by the summoning of the saint ended the Dark Age. However, because the Dark Age lasted so long and monsters ravaged the land, there are almost no records remaining from before that time.
Martina, who had become deeply immersed in history through her study of the saint summoning, wanted to learn about the history before that era as well. She believed that those records might contain more detailed information on magic circles.
This is because the fact that the saint summoning succeeded in the Dark Age means that magic circles had already existed before that time. It’s possible that research on magic circles was more advanced in the age before their decline than it is today.
As Martina and Laforet were deep in thought, suddenly the sound of a chair scraping across the floor echoed through the library. When they turned their gaze to the source of the sound, they saw a man, a historian, standing with a book in his hands.
“Everyone, this book might be important.”
At those words, everyone immediately gathered around.
“What kind of book is it?”
Martina asked, and the man closed the book briefly, holding it in a way that made the title visible. The book was not bound neatly but appeared to be a bundle of papers thrown together haphazardly.
“It’s a book called ‘Wilderness Travel Journal.’ Initially, I thought it was just a diary about traveling through harsh lands, but I wondered if it might be related to the post-Dark Age period, so I decided to read it. And… it seems I was right. This book is a travel diary of a man journeying across the continent a few years after the Dark Age ended.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes widened. This was the exact period they were hoping to find information on. Moreover, if it was a few years later, it might even contain details about the saint.
“Who should read it first…?”
Martina asked the group, looking around with a slight hesitation, but her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
Everyone smiled warmly at Martina and let her be the first to read.
“Martina, you should read it first.”
At Laforet’s words, Martina’s face immediately lit up.
“Really? Thank you so much…!”
(I knew my job was to build the magic circle, but I’ve actually been itching to read! And now, I get to read a new book I’ve never seen before, one that might contain precious information! I’m so happy!)
Martina took the book from the man, cradling it to her chest like a precious treasure.
“Then I’ll start reading right away!”
She sat down, opened the first page, and immediately became immersed in the world of the book. She empathized with the emotions of the writer, shared in their sadness and joy, and continued reading, overcoming the struggles in the story.
After finishing the book, Martina let out a deep sigh of satisfaction and slowly lifted her gaze, feeling fulfilled by her reading.
