I Quit Being a Court Magician Apprentice to Become a Magical Item Craftsman
The sky is clear, and there’s no wind. Perfect weather for a hunt!
Breakfast at the inn consists of bread, salad, boiled eggs, soup, pickled dishes, and dried fish—simple but satisfying. I hope the fishermen can start working again soon so we can enjoy fresh seafood!
As I finished preparing, the innkeeper informed me that a man had come looking for us.
Standing near the front desk was a mage with green hair, seemingly around the same age as Ekvar. He wore a deep green robe, carried a staff, and had white boots on.
“Good morning. I am Sozon Clayton, the guide assigned for today. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Good morning, and likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Iriya , and I work as an item craftsman. I hope I can be of some help, even if only a little.”
Ekvar and Sebirino introduced themselves as well, and we set off toward the sea. Belial didn’t bother with introductions.
Rini stayed behind at the inn. She was too scared to come along, thinking it might really be Leviathan.
“…Lord Ekvar, are you going to ride a wyvern?”
“It’s Lady Iriya ’s wyvern. I’m the only one here who can’t use flight magic.”
As we flew over the town, Sozon Clayton stared intently at the wyvern. It seemed like a rare sight in these parts, probably because they usually inhabit mountains and forests.
“Shall we rest in the port town?”
I nodded at Sozon Clayton’s words.
“Yes, let’s check on the town.”
“Agreed. Let’s land. Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”
While the rest of us headed straight for the port, Ekvar lowered the wyvern’s altitude and seemed to be making a brief detour outside town.
A few people stood by the sea, carefully watching the waves. We landed a short distance away and listened in on their conversation.
“Still not safe to fish? The sea is calm today, though… No sign of the monster, you said?”
They seemed to be fishermen, speaking in weary tones, sighing as they talked.
“We should act quickly. Lord Clayton, would you wait here? We’ll try to handle the situation ourselves.”
“What!? No, that’s too dangerous, and we can’t just leave this entirely in the hands of outsiders.”
“We’ll be using a secret spell. If you hear the incantation, I’ll have to silence you. And that would get me in trouble.”
Ekvar cut him off with a firm statement.
It’s better if he doesn’t come with us.
“…I see. So that’s how it is. Then, I shall remain here. However, if you do not return within an hour, I will come to check on you. Is that acceptable?”
As expected from a high-ranking mage, he understood immediately without unnecessary explanations.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Leviathan, or perhaps Levianthan. A formidable monster said to devour even dragons. It is a dragon itself, though. They say regular weapons like swords and bows can’t even scratch it.
Despite being a sea-dwelling, water-attributed dragon, it can unleash a powerful fire breath.
The massive dragon lurking offshore was one of the largest I had ever seen.
Each time it moved, the sea trembled as though alive, sending towering waves crashing.
Simply driving it away seemed like the right approach. This wasn’t something humans could easily defeat. At the very least, we needed to push it farther from the shore.
We started by testing a lightning spell. But would paralysis even work on such a colossal sea monster?
Before it could attack, Sebirino drew his enchanted dagger and began chanting a wind-element lightning spell.
“O clouds, be dyed in radiant darkness. Stack thickly and forge a dazzling weapon. Resound, thunder! Roar in victory, and grant us a brilliant triumph! You, who are exiled, manifest the wrath of the mighty! Yagrush, strike like a hawk! Shuut Tu Fudhul!”
Thick black clouds gathered overhead, rumbling with thunder. Flashes of lightning crackled between them, and then, with a deafening boom, a particularly thick bolt struck Leviathan.
Of course, this was just a greeting.
I pulled out a magic talisman, known as a numeric magic circle.
It was a round mithril plate with a square frame inscribed on it. Within the square, two vertical and two horizontal lines divided it into nine sections, each containing numbers arranged so that any row, column, or diagonal added up to fifteen.
Along the edges of the square, magic symbols were written.
Without wasting time, I started chanting a new lightning spell. We had to keep up the attack.
“You who drive away, a fleeting flash. You who shatter, polished black steel. Raging air, weave together a dazzling brilliance and grant me a lightning spear! Shatter the shield of the churning waves and bring even the sea to submission!”
A golden spear of lightning appeared in my hand, crackling with sparks.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself, channeling my magic into it—making it thicker, sharper, and stronger.
“Let fury become a raging storm! Annihilate, thunderbolt! Hunter, Ayamur!”
The moment I released the lightning spear, it surged forward, gaining speed and radiance. It struck Leviathan, triggering an explosion that illuminated the sea’s surface in yellow light.
The massive creature recoiled from the impact, letting out a furious roar and thrashing its tail against the ocean.
By the way, this Baal’s curse spell was designed purely for attack power, so it didn’t have a paralysis effect. However, it looked like Sebirino’s spell had successfully slowed it down.
“Two people using lightning magic—it’s quite a spectacle!”
Ekvar seemed impressed, but he was already preparing for the counterattack.
Whether it would be a breath attack, a physical strike with its claws or tail, or something using magic or the sea itself, we had to observe carefully and react accordingly. A single hit could be fatal.
“Sebirino! It’s about to breathe fire!”
“O scorching sands, bitter cold glaciers, and all calamities alike—shield us from harm! O air, grant us a soft membrane, an invisible wall! Souffle Defense!”
Leviathan unleashed its fire breath.
Sweeping its neck from right to left, it exhaled a powerful, searing blaze. The water evaporated, forming mist over the sea’s surface. The deep red flames pressed against the defensive barrier, some of them slipping through.
“This is cutting it close…! I can’t hold it much longer!”
Even though Sebirino, an advanced dragon, could usually withstand breath attacks, this defense spell was light-elemental—his weakness. He was doing well despite that.
As the blazing breath tore through the air, Belial leaped forward, wielding his black sword.
He struck Leviathan with a fiery slash, but the tough scales resisted deep cuts.
Still, while it was locked in its breath attack, he pressed his hand against the wound and forced flames inside.
“Gwoooaaahhh!!!”
Leviathan roared in agony, shaking its head and flinging Belial away.
“Damn it…! Curses are useless in the sea, and taking this thing down will be a pain!”
Leviathan’s water attribute gave it the advantage. Even Belial struggled.
However, our attacks were working. The thrashing monster sent waves crashing toward the shore. Whether we were driving it away or preparing to kill it, we had to end this battle quickly.
“O sea, great water of the ancient past, source of life that covers the world. O great power that devours all! Let the fangs of the raging waves be my shield! Draw forth, golden waves and silver tides. Bring salvation with the brilliance of emerald! Bucurie Vague!”
Sebirino cast a magic spell that formed a shield of waves, blocking both the raging sea and physical attacks. The massive tail, flailing in pain, struck against the rectangular mass of water and was repelled, returning to its original position.
The next strike, delivered by hand, was also blocked, returning to the water. As expected of an advanced water spell, its defense was formidable.
I began chanting an offensive spell before the barrier faded.
“Reveal the path of the sun. Let the light that shines even upon the underworld permeate all and bring destruction. O Lord of Judgment, descend and let the silver spear’s flash be known!”
This spell is technically forbidden, but I had already asked Ekvar for permission to use it this time!
That’s why everyone made sure to stay away.
The reason this spell was banned is because, when its creators used it during a war, its power was far too overwhelming. Four people positioned at a distance surrounded a city and cast it simultaneously, unleashing terrifying destruction. Even in places where buildings remained intact, the extreme heat claimed countless lives. Horrified by the catastrophic results, the very creators of the spell decided it must never be used again.
“Golden Crow, descend! Spread your wings and unleash a crimson blaze like raging fire. Deliver a merciless hammer of judgment! Justitia Sol!”
The flickering light descended, striking Leviathan and triggering a massive explosion. The searing heat spread around, but Leviathan dove into the ocean just in time. The attack wasn’t strong enough to finish it off…!
“Damn it… it escaped!! We need another plan.”
When I turned to Sebirino, he looked deeply troubled.
The damage must be severe—Leviathan won’t be able to counterattack immediately. First, I needed to replenish my mana with a high-mana potion.
When it resurfaces, it’ll likely be in a different location. We have to read its movements. Ekvar’s wyvern gained altitude, scanning the sea. But with the depths it had plunged into, the churning saltwater and mist made it impossible to see.
On the surface, Leviathan’s red blood floated and swayed with the waves.
“…What is that? A person…?”
The moment Ekvar murmured, the seawater rose, forming a massive pillar.
It climbed high, then scattered, crashing back into the sea with a thunderous roar.
Leviathan was lifted with it.
“So, my son has been in your care, King of Hell. You’re called Belial , correct?”
“…Is that… Lady Tiamat…?!”
Tiamat?! I heard she was traveling, but here of all places?!
The woman standing on the sea had hair the color of bluish-gray, so long it nearly reached her heels. Her tall figure was adorned with golden eyes, and she wore a form-fitting white dress-like garment. Though her exposed shoulders and curvaceous body were undeniably feminine, an overwhelming sense of power and authority radiated from her.
She extended one hand forward, clenched it into a fist, and the water column narrowed—before bursting with a BANG.
Leviathan’s body momentarily caved in, and it let out an even louder cry of agony than before.
“What is the situation?”
“W-well, actually…”
Belial tried to explain, but I interrupted with a bold request.
“Could you hold Leviathan down for us?! We’re about to create a hole that will erase everything!”
“…How interesting. Very well, do as you wish.”
Her red lips curled into a faint, alluring smile. Without shifting her face, she only moved her gaze toward me, as if giving permission.
“Understood! Let’s begin, Sebirino!!”
“I will give it my all!”
Leviathan thrashed within the water prison, shaking its massive head in an attempt to escape. Its colossal dragon tail sliced through the water, and its razor-sharp claws scraped against the walls of its enclosure.
“The tide swells beneath the new moon. I am Tiamat, the Primordial Sea. In the lightless night, the blue ocean cradles the nebula in its arms.”
Tiamat’s declaration.
Her already immeasurable magic surged even higher.
Just when it seemed like Leviathan might escape, a smaller—but still monstrously large—black dragon, incomparable to any ordinary dragon, sank its fangs into the writhing beast.
Tiamat.
This was Tiamat’s true dragon form!
Her scales, as black as the abyss, reflected the sea’s light, shimmering like a deep cobalt-blue spinel. Even her claws were black, her massive frame solid and powerful, with a thick neck and golden eyes.
Tiamat bit down fiercely, shattering Leviathan’s once-impenetrable scales, tearing its flesh, and throwing the bleeding creature back into the sea.
“She’s as violent as ever…”
Belial muttered under his breath, hoping no one would hear.
As we burned this magnificent sight into our memories, we began our chant.
“O great primordial darkness, all-consuming void, open your maw! We offer tribute to the hollow abyss, devour all in your insatiable hunger!”
“You humans use some rather amusing magic. I suppose it befits one bound by a king’s contract.”
With its last desperate struggle, Leviathan unleashed another scorching breath attack.
But both of us were chanting—we couldn’t defend against it!
Just as we panicked, Tiamat stepped in.
She released a powerful storm and an icy breath, countering Leviathan’s flames and forcing its massive body back.
Now it was in the perfect position!
“The dead flesh shall become the foundation of the sunken continent. Devour even the formless mass! Open, rift of the world—Ginnungagap! Obscurité Trou!!”
As Sebirino and I completed our incantation, a vast black void opened its mouth, swallowing Leviathan and the surrounding seawater whole.
The dragon’s roar faded into the abyss, and when the landscape returned to normal, the massive beast was gone—nowhere to be found.
A spell that pierces reality itself, consuming everything—magic, creatures, even matter itself.
Because of its danger, it can only be used in completely empty areas like this. A downside is that it doesn’t leave behind any materials, but in this case, prolonging the battle would have been worse.
The mana cost was immense—even with Sebirino’s help, we barely managed.
“…You weakened it first, which made things easier for me. I’ve repaid my debt. That was a spectacular spell.”
Having returned to her human form, Tiamat gave a small wave and strode across the water as if it were solid ground. Her long hair swayed in the wind, glistening with seawater.
“Ah—thank you very much!”
Tiamat, the supreme ruler of the Black Dragons, said nothing more.
Without glancing back, she departed—a woman of absolute dignity and authority.
Yeah… there’s no way Kingu will ever reach her level, even in a thousand years!
