Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 38

“Let me be very clear. Without magical power, you cannot cast any spell. However, that doesn’t mean there are no alternative methods. There are magic circles that can be activated without using magical powers as well.”

Leo had a confused look on his face.

Magic, while seemingly miraculous in itself, is actually an elaborate set of rules. A language of magic overlaid on the language of the rules of the world, called a magic circle.

In other words, to manifest miracles that change the laws of the world, both magical power and magic circles are indispensable.

However, there are magic circles that don’t require magic power.

“What kind of magic circle is that?”

“It’s the dark magic circles which is often used by dark sorcerers and magicians.”

“Gasp!”

Leo was startled, as if he had made a grave mistake, covering his mouth with both hands.

Even a young child like Leo knew that black magic was a very evil and a bad thing.

Dark magicians were feared and loathed by the commoners and when children disappeared from a village, the first rumor was that they were taken away by them.

Soon, however, Leo’s expression changed, and he seemed to be pondering over something.

His well-defined eyebrows rose with skepticism, his eyes rolled around as he contemplated, and eventually, he shook his head as if berating himself.

Cheshire, observing Leo with a sense of satisfaction, then opened his mouth.

“You’re curious, aren’t you? It’s not a bad thing to want to know. Ask me anything.”

Leo lowered his hand slightly and spoke in a low voice, as if he was wary of anyone listening to it.

“Do dark sorcerers use the dark magic circle because they are bad people, or are they considered bad because they use the dark magic circle? “

It was a question that left me stunned.

I wondered how that cute little head could think so deeply.

As I looked at him with amusement, Cheshire’s head turned towards me.

“What do you think, Master?”

Wait, is he turning the arrow towards me?

It felt like receiving a sudden question from a professor while being lost in an unrelated thought.

I quickly shook my head.

There isn’t much detailed information about dark magic in <Hirome>.

All I knew was that the royal family, the temples, and even the magic towers united to condemn black magic and summarily executed black mages.

The royal family, in particular, was keen on hunting them down, they even sent the Royal Knights to hunt down every single one of them.

Even after knowing that it would lead to such a harsh situation after using the dark magic circle… still they use it. Maybe dark sorcerers aren’t ordinary people with common values, are they?

Then maybe the terrifying rumors that you have to sacrifice people to use black magic is true.

“They must not be normal people.”

“Hmm, so that’s what you think.”

Cheshire didn’t provide a direct answer and just chuckled meaningfully.

“The reason dark sorcerers are condemned is that the dark magic circle demands something other than magical power as a price.”

He paused for a moment, then snapped his fingers.

Gold rims formed on his ashen eyes, and they were sparkling like a glass.

Immediately, a flurry of snow began to fall in the study, which contained nothing more than a few heavy wooden pieces of furniture.

“Whoa!”

Leo’s adult-like crossed legs started swinging under the chair.

It’s like a puppy’s tail that was wagging excitedly at its first snowfall.

The snowflakes falling like flower petals danced around, passing through Leo’s outstretched hand, but on the wooden furniture, they quietly accumulated like feathers, creating a soundless heap.

“For example, I wonder how mages make fires to warm themselves in these cold winters. Seedo, would you like to try making a fire as an apprentice mage?”

“M-Me?”

Leo was startled at Cheshire’s words.

After hesitating for a bit, he looked at me and then, with a serious expression, he grabbed a pen.

The lines were jagged, but a convincing fire circle was drawn on the paper.

Leo brought both hands to the magic circle and, with those baby-faced chick lips that come out whenever he’s concentrating on something, he breathed magic into both of his hands.

Soon, the magic circle drawn with black ink began to glow with white color and sparks flickered above it.

Once, twice and a total of three times.

It started developing spark after spark, like a lighter that was running out of gas, but Leo refused to give up.

He bit his lips, squeezed out the last of his magical power, and a spark which was the size of his pinky nail burst forth like a spring flower on the circle.

“It worked! I did it!”

“Well done, Seedo. You’ve now learnt, how to survive in winters like a mage.”

Although it was a flame too feeble to warm me, I silently recorded today’s event on my praise memo.

[The first day of the month. Leo successfully attempted the creation of his first magic by creating a small fire].

Later, when I filled up my sync and disabled the Belinda translator, I’ll be sure to praise him for his work today.

“On the other hand, dark sorcerers are different. What they need is a desire for fire, a dark magic circle, and a sacrifice to offer as a payment.”

Before Cheshire could finish, an unseasonal butterfly flew out of the snowflakes, flapping its wings.

“The first spell requires only a small price.”

The butterfly landed in front of Cheshire as it tried to dry its wet wings.

“To summon a small spark that will melt the cold, a butterfly which is oblivious to the season is the price.”

Boom!

The butterfly was engulfed in black flames and vanished, leaving no ashes behind.

“……!”

Leo was so surprised that he jumped to his feet.

The flames from the butterfly were huge and voracious.

Soon a few butterflies reappeared around him.

The small of few butterflies gradually became a huge swarm, and before they knew it, there were dozens not even dozens but a hundred of butterflies fluttering through the air.

I felt like I was in the middle of an endless field of flowers, even though there wasn’t a single flower at sight.

In the midst of that dreamlike illusion, a man, like a single flower, who had called forth the swarm of butterflies, gently opened his mouth.

“So, to ignite the second spark, what price would the dark magic circle demand?”

At first glance, it might seem that another butterfly would be needed.

That would be the normal structure of magic.

But it didn’t feel like a right answer.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

“Oh, no!”

Despite Leo’s outcry…

Snap.

A dreadful sound echoed.

All at once, the golden glowing butterflies burst into flames, turning the area into an inferno.

I reached out to cover Leo’s eyes, but it was too late.

“For the second spark, the price required is the extinction of an entire species. That’s the cost needed to activate the dark magic circle.”

“…….”

“Seedo, remember this illusion of today. You must engrave it into your blood and soul about how dangerous dark magic can be.”

Cheshire, wearing a smile as gentle as spring flowers, delivered a warning permeated with the unpleasant scent of ash.

Ignoring my fierce expression, Cheshire continued to smile warmly and clapped his hands.

“Well then, that concludes my today’s lesson.”

* * * *

“I want to talk to you.”

Calling Cheshire, who was preparing to leave, wasn’t a particularly strange thing to do.

Leo was visibly deflated after class.

He was always excited, reviewing the magic he’d learned for the day.

“Dear Customer, unfortunately, rental time has ended. If you want to talk, you’ll have to pay an additional fee.”

The promise for a good service turned out to be a blatant lie from his end.

He switched his words from master to customer as soon as the lesson was over.

“However, I can make an exception for you dear customer. How about we take a walk together?”

No way. That’s not a good thing.

But that’s how we ended up walking together from the annex towards the main gate.

The meticulously maintained path, adorned with autumn-colored trees and vibrant fall flowers, was beautiful.

Observing the autumn butterflies fluttering around, I opened my mouth.

“For what purpose did you do that in the class?”

I wondered if he sensed something was wrong.

Cheshire, who, just like me, was looking at the sea of butterflies, slowed his pace and replied to me in a voice that was uncharacteristically devoid of laughter.

“A proper teacher should instill fear of dark magic in their students, even if it means planting trauma. That’s why many magicians take their apprentices to the gallows to show the consequences of dark magic. To demonstrate the words of dark wizards.”

“Do they really go that far?”

My words slipped out unintentionally, and Cheshire’s steps came to a complete halt.

He turned towards me as if surprised by my unexpected remark.

His ash-colored eyes pierced through me but were soon hidden behind a curving smile.

“You aren´t aware, my dear customer about how captivating dark magic can be.”