On the way back from the Elf Forest, I stopped by the residence of Duke August in the royal capital.
As I entered through the veranda, everyone was gathered in the reception room, talking.
There was Duke August , the butler I first met standing next to him, the well-dressed house steward, the duke’s personal mage Hannes, and the contracted marquis-level demon Kimejes .
Also present were Ekvar and S-rank swordsman Celestan Le Nann, and Pavari, an A-rank mage who uses light magic and is equipped with a mace.
It seemed that Duke August was deeply concerned about the situation in the capital, where Count Matvei Cherenche Abakarov had been involved and adventurers had been incited. Furthermore, Ekvar had also investigated other damages not yet reported.
The issues were mostly related to women, violent behavior towards commoners, and undue pressure on merchant guilds operating in his territory.
Duke August clearly stated that he would leave the resolution to them, so I’m not worried about this issue anymore.
Now, we had come for another purpose.
“Actually, we would like to borrow the duke’s magic laboratory. Pavari here is a practitioner of light magic, and last night we bonded over discussing it…”
“Light magic! Please, we must see it demonstrated! Is that alright, Your Grace?”
Mage Hannes seemed quite enthusiastic. The two demons appeared a bit uncertain, though.
Duke August , who had been wearing a serious expression due to the troubling matters, suddenly smiled and immediately agreed.
“I too am looking forward to seeing it! Let’s go right away!”
It seemed that the duke truly loved magic. We all moved to the laboratory.
“Holy, holy, holy one, Lord of Hosts, the most exalted El Shaddai! I call your name in joy. From the break in the clouds, let the light shine forth. Let it grow brighter, sharper. Let it not tolerate any evil and condemn it! Send down the light of judgment from the heavens! Ciel Judgment!”
As Pavari cast the spell, a white light descended from the sky and caused an explosion on the floor. I had nearly stopped it before, so I didn’t see the full extent of it last time, but it had incredible power.
Both Hannes and the duke were watching with admiration. This was a form of holy magic, part of the light attribute that invokes the divine name. It sanctifies the area and weakens the dark power that demons wield, which makes it unpopular with them.
“Now it’s my turn. I will cast a light attribute spell that is not holy-based.”
The duke nodded eagerly. I hoped he would like my magic too.
“Show the path of the sun. Illuminate even the underworld, penetrating all things on the earth, causing them to crumble. Lord of Judgment, come and shine forth with the flash of a silver spear!”
“…You two, please cast a defensive spell together.”
“Huh? Yes,” Belial told the others, and Pavari and Hannes hesitantly nodded.
“I have never heard this spell before, but it is light-based, correct? Then I will cast a defensive spell of the same light attribute, and I ask for your cooperation.”
Pavari and Hannes nodded, and began their incantations.
“Holy one with a sacred name! The exalted Agra, who looks down upon all from the heavens, show your authority. Protect us from unseen threats with the aurora you grant! Magi Defense!”
A defensive light expanded inside the barrier, strengthening it, almost like a magical fortress.
Now I felt safe to go all out. I gathered more of my magical power and continued the incantation.
“Golden crow, come down, spread your wings, and unleash a fiery crimson flame. Deliver a devastating blow! Justitia Sol!”
A thin, white thread-like light shot straight into the middle of the laboratory. Small flashes of light flickered playfully around, slowly descending.
“Hmm… it’s rather plain,” the duke began to say.
Just as the end of the thread touched the floor, vibrant silver spread out from it, and immediately, there was a deafening explosion. Silver and red light clashed, filling the room.
The facility shook with a loud thud, and the two defensive spells shattered upon the first explosion. Small explosions of heat continued, like magma bubbling up.
The floor of the laboratory was gouged, and the barrier must have collapsed too.
Before I knew it, Kimejes had placed a defense on the other side of the barrier. It seemed to have reached that far. The power was greater than expected.
Inside the facility, the heat from the explosions distorted the scenery, creating a mirage-like effect.
“Ah, this will be hot for a while, so please avoid entering. I think it’s hot enough to die, not just as a figure of speech.”
…Huh? No one’s replying? Even Ekvar is still half-smiling?
“You’ve learned quite a terrible spell… If you had cast that as is, this whole area would not have come out unscathed.”
“I thought with the two excellent mages and two demons here, I’d be fine, so I didn’t worry too much about it.”
“No, no! What kind of spell is this!? Lady Iriya , what is this!? It’s outrageous! I’ve never heard of anything like it!!”
“Well, if you’re asking what it is, I just used it for the first time. It seemed impossible to try it outside. It’s the strongest class of light magic, and it gets so hot that it can burn your skin and kill you over a wide area.”
Ekvar is unusually agitated. This spell seems to have power on par with the highest class of attack magic, regardless of the element.
Pavari and Hannes slowly began to speak, trying to calm their excitement.
“I had heard there are spells more powerful than Ciel Judgment, but is this terrifying spell one of them?”
“They say light magic has strong effects, but this… this is beyond that, isn’t it!?”
“Well, it’s just like adding heat to Ciel Judgment.”
“That’s not just a small difference!!”
Ekvar interjects. The Duke remains silent, staring blankly at the laboratory. Was this a mistake…?
“Lord Belial… why this kind of spell…?”
“There’s no reason I should teach it. She learned it on her own… I never expected she’d actually be able to use it.”
Belial sighs. But since it’s not a holy magic, it doesn’t sanctify the area.
“Ah!!! Could it be that you searched the forbidden library for this…?”
“Yes. The incantations were split up and there were codes… It was difficult to reproduce it.”
“…This is awful… You’re a terrifying girl, aren’t you… You can’t just use something like that!!”
Now that I think about it, maybe they’re right. Ekvar , as though recalling something, covers his face with his hands.
“I just wanted to confirm its power… I’ll be more careful next time…”
“Seriously, stop it! If you do that, it’s my responsibility! Everyone, please keep this to yourselves. This is a forbidden spell that even Egdoarm hesitated to pass down…”
A forbidden spell? And it was banned!? I didn’t even realize that. Now that I think about it, there was a long warning in the notes, but I was so excited deciphering it that I didn’t really remember much.
“…Understood. Indeed, it’s not a spell to speak of. A forbidden spell… I can’t believe you used it.”
Pavari nods seriously and glances at me.
“I didn’t know it was forbidden…”
“If it’s in the forbidden library, you’d know… I also swear I won’t tell anyone.”
Hannes’s point is valid. But still, when you’ve finally revived a spell, you want to try it, right!?
That being said, I did accidentally destroy too much.
“Lord Duke… um, will I need to compensate for this…?”
“…Huh!? No, no! There’s no need for that! No, no, no, please don’t worry!!!”
For some reason, he’s saying “no” repeatedly. Maybe he’s a little angry, I wonder? He’s shaking his head and right hand in an odd way.
Then, as though recalling something, he murmurs.
“Since there are few who can use barrier magic in Chenkaslar , it would be helpful if you could introduce me to someone…”
“For repairing barriers, I have connections with experts. Well, those are the people who set this up against you,” said the swordsman Celestan. So it was his people who had set this up? It was a perfect barrier that completely extinguished the flames.
“In that case, their skills must be solid. If you use Alectoria’s stone, you can create a strong barrier.”
“Well, you did manage to break it easily…”
“I’m not very good at creating barriers, but I’m great at breaking them. When I was called for a durability test for barriers, I could break them so quickly that they told me not to come anymore because it wasn’t a proper test.”
A sad memory from the Egdoarm experiment facility. It was actually quite fun, but the mages whose barriers were destroyed were definitely disappointed.
“I see…”
Celestan laughs dryly, beyond just a chuckle.
“If you understand that much, you should be able to cast one too…”
“Kimejes . She seems like a perfectionist when it comes to magic, so I don’t think she can do anything that would be useful in terms of casting a barrier…” muttered the demon Kimejes , and Hannes, the mage contracted with him, responds. I guess I do have some basic knowledge about how to cast a barrier.
“A thin barrier is like no barrier at all, isn’t it?”
By the way, barrier magic is different from regular magic. It uses magic cores from powerful monsters or magic stones that are imbued with strong magical power, and primarily lays down defensive magic. With regular magic, you need to keep supplying mana, but a barrier continues even if the mana supply is cut off, making it ideal for defense in places like this facility.
The barrier that sealed the flames last time was, in that sense, an irregular, unconventional use.
The core magic stone or core of the barrier is imbued with magic and placed at every corner, and a spell is cast to activate it. That’s the process. Right now, the effect range can only be determined in a straight line, so round barriers haven’t been made. Square and hexagonal shapes are popular.
“What will Celestan and the others do after this?”
I asked as we left the laboratory and headed back to the Duke’s residence.
“Ah, I was told my master is calling me at the Adventurer’s Guild. I’ll be heading back to the Wastent Republic for now.”
“I plan to go with them. His master is a very famous general! Although he’s retired, I’d love to meet him.”
Apparently, Pavari and Celestan had just met on this assignment, but they had hit it off. They’re both excited to go along.
“I’ve mostly worked alone up until now. I join a team if needed, but being tied down by teammates is a hassle. However, this one is fun to talk to, and more than that, she’s very knowledgeable. I’d like to learn a little more, given what happened this time.”
They seem to have a good relationship, built on mutual respect and complementing each other.
Afterward, they plan to stop by Tenatite for a report to the other members waiting there.
