The brief banquet came to an end. It would be a lie to say it wasn’t tiring, but I had no regrets since I got to meet Hyperion and his children.

Returning to school, what welcomed me wasn’t my familiar research lab but piles of paperwork. During that short time Asrein was away, work had greatly accumulated. In the end, I stayed busy assisting him as he buried himself in paperwork, working at the lab without rest.

“Whew, finally finished.”

Leaning back in my chair like melted cheese, I could see the cloudless sky. Through the slightly opened window drifted the scent of crisp fallen leaves. Standing straight and taking a deep breath, the cold air penetrated deep into my lungs. Winter slowly approaches.

As I stretched lazily, my sleeve slipped down slightly revealing my wrist. The bracelet made of Phyllis vine stood out in stark contrast to my pale skin. It was a gift Hyperion gave me before our regretful parting. He said it had absorbed magical power from being attached to his body for a long time. While gently stroking the delicate leaves sprouting sparsely from the vine, I suddenly became curious.

“So can I use magic now…?”

Asrein had concluded that my magical power was too weak to use magic. That meant if magical power was filled, I could use magic. My childish heart raced at the thought that I too could perform miracles like Sezan or Asrein.

Though I wanted to try something right away, I didn’t know what would happen if I used magic without knowing the basics. I quickly headed to the library to find some basic texts to read. Passing by tens of thousands of books lined up as soon as I opened the door, I went straight to the magic section.

Bringing a ladder while hugging my excitement, I scanned the titles from the top. ‘The Pros and Cons of Attack Magic’ ‘How to Effectively Subdue’ ‘100 Selected Prayer Verses Made Easy’ Among various books, I picked ones that seemed good for beginners and held them close.

As I carefully climbed down the ladder, a familiar voice sounded from behind.

“Tae-oh?”

Only one person in this world calls me by that title.

“Sezan!”

When I greeted him happily, Sezan smiled and nodded in greeting. Soon after checking the titles of the books I was holding, he showed interest and asked.

“Have you started studying magic?”

“Haha… embarrassing but yes. Though I don’t even know how to handle magical power, which is the most basic of basics.”

“Once you understand the principles, it’s easy.”

That’s exactly what students with similar majors would say when taking unfamiliar elective courses. In math terms, I don’t even know addition and subtraction, yet he’s already talking about principles – I could only laugh awkwardly. As I quietly flipped through the book, Sezan came closer and whispered kindly.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, please tell me. Though insufficient, I’ll teach you.”

The words were appreciated, but I could tell what I didn’t know without even opening the book. From the moment I turned the cover until the end, it would be full of words I’d never seen before. Instead of answering readily, I stroked the hardcover and suddenly had a good idea.

“Are you busy now?”

“Huh? No. I’m free until class.”

“Then could I perhaps ask you something I’m curious about?”

His deep blue eyes briefly shook with surprise.

“What… would that be?”

“It’s nothing difficult at all.”

I don’t have that level of skill anyway. Waving both hands, I lowered my voice and asked.

“Thanks to Sezan’s explanation before, I understand how to use magic. You said people with sufficient magical power can do it with short commands, but those lacking need to recite prayers, right?”

“That’s correct. The gap between accumulated magical power and required magical power is filled with prayer.”

“Is that… really the only way?”

When I asked indirectly to avoid revealing the bracelet’s existence, Sezan let out an exclamation after a beat. Then suggesting the conversation might get long, he proposed going outside the library. I quickly put the books back in their place and followed him to sit side by side on a bench prepared next to the library.

After briefly choosing his words, Sezan spoke while spreading his fingers one by one.

“As you know, there are two ways to use magic. Using one’s own magical power and receiving external help. Besides those, though it’s a somewhat different category… you can do similar things to magic with divine power.”

“By divine power… do you mean the omnipotent god?”

“Yes. Though mages like me also borrow the power of prayer, priests who inherit divine power are different. They perform miracles following only god’s will, ignoring all principles, so it could be considered true magic.”

“That’s amazing in many ways.”

“Since receiving god’s choice is not easy, let’s leave that aside for now.”

Clearing his throat with a small cough, Sezan continued his explanation.

“If you don’t want to recite prayers, you can also use objects with concentrated magical power.”

“Objects with… concentrated magical power?”

This is it. When I showed curiosity, Sezan carefully pulled out a thin metal chain from inside his shirt. Hidden by clothes, I hadn’t known he was wearing a necklace that came down to his chest. At its end hung a small piece of glass that, looking closely, seemed just like quartz reflecting various colors depending on the angle.

“A basic example is magic stones. Minerals that spend long times in deep places like under the sea or in caves tend to absorb magical power scattered in the air.”

“Then does this have magical power in it too?”

“Unfortunately, this one has used up all its accumulated magical power so it’s just a simple stone now.”

Thanks to Sezan removing his necklace, I could examine the magic stone in detail. Carefully holding it between thumb and index finger up to the sunlight, a faint rainbow appeared similar to light through a prism. Besides sparkling like a jewel, no matter how I turned it, it looked like nothing more or less than an ordinary stone.

“Then does Sezan sometimes use magic stones too?”

“No. I’ve never used one.”

“…Why not?”

When I asked while returning the stone, Sezan’s fine brow furrowed slightly.

“To get straight to the point… the risk is too high. When the nature of magical power accumulated in the stone differs greatly from the caster’s own magical power, there’s a high possibility of conflict within the body. Like how oil and water don’t mix.”

Listening to his continued explanation reminded me of the principle of blood transfusions where receiving the wrong blood type endangers the body. He said when incompatible magical power flows in, the core abnormally activates to push out the magical power.

“In the worst case, not only the core that accumulates magical power, but all organs could be damaged.”

“…This is much more dangerous than I thought. So that’s why you chose the prayer method.”

“Yes. Though one can exert tremendous power when finding a magic stone with similar properties, I personally don’t recommend it.”

My expression hardened at hearing information more serious than expected. While stroking the vine bracelet, my hand unconsciously tightened around my wrist. I wondered how Hyperion’s magical power would affect me. I worried whether the vast power would crack my fragile body like a glass bottle. At this rate, I might have to let Hyperion’s gifted magical power go to waste without using it.

“Are you planning to use a magic stone?”

“I was considering it, but thinking about the side effects makes me a bit scared.”

I laughed while swallowing a sigh, worried my concern might show on my face.

“Anyway, thank you, Sezan.”

“Not at all. I’m glad I could tell you about magic, though I’m still lacking.”

Just then, the clock tower bells rang dong-dong in the distance. Though I said I’d just ask a quick question, I ended up keeping Sezan too long. Jumping up from the bench, I pointed at the main building.

“Isn’t that the class starting bell?”

“Yes. The timing is exactly right.”

“Don’t you seem late already?”

“It’s fine.”

Though anyone could see he was late because of me, so it’s not fine at all! Strangely, I was the only one feeling anxious while Sezan remained completely relaxed. Getting impatient by myself, I pushed his broad back and he finally took a step. But after not going far, he suddenly stopped as if remembering something and turned back.

“Do you often go out beyond the school?”

“Um… since I stay in the dormitory, I don’t go out much unless there’s business. Why?”

Unlike before, Sezan became quite serious and murmured quietly.

“Though it’s a village far from here… one of my servants said they saw a magical creature’s shadow while running an errand.”

“A, a magical creature’s shadow?!”

My voice cracked slightly at the unbelievable story. A magical creature’s shadow appearing in a village of all places. If it was the imperial capital, reports would have flown to every corner – that’s how serious the news was. Since Sezan’s family’s territory was somewhat distant, it seems rumors haven’t spread yet.

“Father immediately ordered the knights to investigate the area, but it was concluded they likely mistook a wild animal or other shadow for a magical creature.”

“But?”

“However, I think differently.”

After briefly rubbing his chin, he carefully opened his mouth.

“That servant was genuinely terrified. Sometimes my mother goes hunting, and this person would clap without changing expression even when seeing blood, but…”

“Hmm…”

“Moreover, they’re definitely not someone who would play meaningless pranks.”

Though only circumstantial evidence, his words certainly had merit. Having worked as a servant myself, I understood even better. They wouldn’t dare lie to their master for mere attention. So either it was simply a mistake as the Duke concluded, or as Sezan thought… a real magical creature had appeared in the village.

“So please be careful. I plan to continue investigating as well.”

Watching his gradually retreating back, I tried to suppress the ominous feeling that kept raising its head.