-chapter 69-
Willem, the court mage, blinked vacantly as he gazed blankly at the towering natural barriers before him.
As the First Minister of the Electorate, he had received these damage reports each summer, so the shock was understandably profound for this middle-aged man.
The western part of the Empire was perpetually damp, making the ground inherently weak. Thus, it was inevitable that flood damage concentrated during the summer months.
“This—this—this can actually be used?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Distance. Can you tell me the distance it can be used at when truly employed?”
“The magical power contained within the scroll is different from what I would use, making it hard to say exactly, but I believe around 3 to 4 kilometers should be manageable.”
3 to 4 kilometers?
How could such a figure be possible? Yet it was not entirely out of the realm of impossibility.
‘Wasn’t there an unidentified high-ranking magician who accomplished something similar last summer?’
Thinking about that event, Willem’s mouth involuntarily opened.
“Giriten.”
“?”
“That embankment in the Giriten region… Was it truly constructed by Rein?”
Inquiry made in hopes of receiving the same assistance had yielded no results. No, he had heard from the villagers, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
To think that a natural disaster genius had done something like that—one must speak with credibility.
But could it be true? At this point, it was odd to be filled with doubt.
“Giriten? Ah, Giriten.”
Upon hearing the name of the region, Rein nodded enthusiastically.
“That was the magic I used when helping there. Thanks to that, I found a great spell to use for the examination, so it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Then that means…
There was no longer any reason to hesitate. Willem quickly raised three fingers.
“Three scrolls—all three!”
If he had his way, he would have liked to take all one hundred of those stacked scrolls, but sadly, each examiner could only take three.
“Please wait a moment.”
Rein promptly took out a writing brush and began scribbling magical symbols and mathematical equations on parchment. Willem glanced back at Prince Raida.
“Your Highness, please write all three scrolls for yourself as well!”
Raida, who had been dazed by the magic that easily stopped the flood, finally looked up.
“What?”
“This is magic that is more than necessary for us, who are always beset by flood damage. Surely you are aware of this!”
He certainly understood that.
However, it felt a bit embarrassing to ask for all three from someone he considered his subordinate, at most a peer.
“But we have an estate mage of Glados (4 Star) in our royal palace, you know?”
“You can use it where Duke Alfred can’t go! And if we take this as a sample, we might be able to mass-produce the scroll!”
At that moment, even if he wanted to act, he couldn’t, as countless people around were already clamoring for Rein to hand over scrolls.
“I want one! Just one!”
“I want two! Damn, why did that muscular guy take one with that weird spell?”
“I want all three!”
Whether a small region’s lord or a village chief, summer floods were a common concern for all.
Not everyone could have a high-ranking mage as their court magician like the elector.
From that perspective, the magic Rein had presented felt like a hidden weapon that could help them get through next year’s floods unscathed.
“A spell for flood damage? Hmm, an interesting idea.”
Professor Marhena brightened his eyes with interest. Professor Kyle chuckled softly.
“Indeed. Summer floods are a problem everyone faces, except for the north; it’s quite a good approach.”
However, with only 35 minutes left, it was meaningless if they couldn’t create all the spells even if there were many.
‘Only three scrolls can be made in advance.’
The parchment made for scrolls was an exceedingly precious commodity. And it would be a waste if, having drawn all the magical circles, he could only sell ten, let alone hundred scrolls.
Thus, the traditional rule for the examination had always been enforced.
‘A little cruel, but… With a late start, one can never make the top 5, no matter what they do.’
Moreover, the magic Rein had chosen was a 3-star spell. Just engraving that complicated and intricate mathematical formula would consume enormous amounts of time.
‘How strange. In such a desperate situation, rather than fearing what might happen, I find myself filled with anticipation—what will you do, Rain Ludwig?’
Perhaps realizing the limitations of manually crafting, Rein abruptly ceased his work and called the assistants to request more writing implements.
“Bring me everything you can find—more than just one?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“Don’t they provide all necessities for the examination?”
Flustered by the unusual demand he’d never heard before, the assistants brought the requested supplies to avoid any displeasure from the higher-ups.
Watching on, Willem was awestruck—
And then, a chill of astonishment surged through him at once.
“Brushes…?!”
“Floating…?!”
Before long, brushes levitated in the air, swiftly crafting magical circles and mathematical formulas on the parchment dangling in nothingness.
“This is… telekinesis?!”
By this point, not just the judges, but all those seated in the audience had their eyes fixated on Rain Ludwig.
No one could turn their gaze away, as if witnessing a performance.
The sight of six brushes synchronizing to draw magical circles on parchment was an incredible spectacle, one which could not be bought with gold.
“Is that even possible?”
“Can you achieve such precise control simultaneously with telekinesis?”
“Deputy Dean, what the hell…?”
Magicians could understand the enormity of what was happening, their shock even more profound due to their knowledge.
They understood better than regular folks what Rain Ludwig was attempting right now.
“He’s performing multiple telekinesis operations.”
The deputy dean of the Chaihak school murmured in astonishment, swallowing hard as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
“Isn’t multi-operation the domain of a grand mage…?”
“Indeed. Lin became famous three hundred years ago precisely for mastering such multi-operations.”
Multi-operation simply means that within the magician’s mind, n mathematical formulas can be calculated simultaneously.
“Even geniuses and criminals alike cannot dare reach such heights…”
Was what Owen wrote in his letter true?
– In my humble view, the Ludwig family will lead the next generation of magic. Please, don’t reprimand Logan, the loser of the Magic War…
Multi-operation is the pinnacle of an innate talent, reachable only by those destined to become grand mages.
Yet Rein seemed unsatisfied as he suddenly began to intertwine his hands.
Simultaneously, two more brushes and pieces of parchment floated up into the air, leaving Tierintid in disbelief.
“Was he also trained in the Barghante type?”
How could an individual from the South so deftly manipulate our Northern hand signs?
“That truly is, uh, truly remarkable.”
Professor Kyle expressed genuine admiration, his serious gaze directed at Rain, while Marhena’s lips twitched with excitement.
“It feels like we’ve entered a magical performance theater.”
Though magical artists were often looked down upon by mages researching in the tower of magic, they still played a significant role in showcasing magic to the masses.
They spread the dream of magic across the world.
And this dream became the fertilizer nurturing the mages of the next generation, as evident from the awe in the eyes of every audience member gazing at Rein.
“Wow…!”
“Unbelievable! Eight brushes are moving in perfect unison!”
“So, this is real magic…!”
Even those not aspiring to become magicians were introduced to newfound possibilities of magic.
“…!”
In this moment, a new flame ignited in the heart of Raida, witnessing this miraculous scene up close.
1. Rain Ludwig: 82 scrolls.
2. Krista Warden: 75 scrolls.
3. Nora Ledon: 69 scrolls.
4. Kaiden: 68 scrolls.
5. Lilian Carain: 67 scrolls.
With Rain’s sudden surge to first place, Weber was left staring blankly at the scoreboard, abruptly ousted from the top five.
‘This is absurd… he overtook everyone in just 30 minutes?’
Even if the number of people ordering scrolls increased explosively, Weber felt no confidence in bridging the fifteen scroll lead he’d fallen behind.
This was the norm.
What was happening there was the anomaly. Sweat trickled down his back.
“I told you to pay attention, didn’t I?”
Elin Ludwig’s smile conveyed an odd sense of delight, directed toward her entranced nephews gazing only at Rain.
“…”
Brim Ludwig silently clapped while wiping tears of joy brought on by pride, watching their growth.
‘It feels like just yesterday when they stumbled awkwardly about the house; now they’ve grown so admirable…’
Kayvan, how I wish you could witness this proud moment by their side.
“Rain truly is magnificent!”
As her tension eased, Kasena turned to Madelia, who had been anxiously cheering Rain on.
“Can I also use magic like that someday? Mom, one day!”
Surprised by her daughter’s enthusiasm, Madelia instinctively stroked Kasena’s lavender hair.
“Of course. You can be just like that, Kasena.”
While it might be impossible to reach that level, Kasena possessed a unique lineage that only the Page family had the potential to wield.
If they could draw out the powers bequeathed by the primordial being—the one true grand mage—then reaching comparable heights would be possible.
“I’ve never doubted Director Doran’s insight so far…”
Tierintid chuckled, uttering thoughts with a hint of humorous disbelief.
“I also had slightly negative opinions about Rain Ludwig, but it seems… he truly is a genius worthy of merit.”
Tierintid, who had always voiced his objections towards Rain, found himself unable to pull his gaze away.
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“He’s not a genius; rather…”
Yes, he is not a genius.
The truth finally hit me. Doran Slade, that irritating guy’s statement as to why Rain Ludwig wouldn’t be part of ‘s golden generation has been clarified.
It’s not that he “can’t” fit in, it’s that he “doesn’t want to.”
A shiver crawled along my spine at the odd realization. I added hastily,
“The Ludwigs have birthed a transcendent monster in three generations.”
Finally, as the chime signaling the end of the examination rang through Yonghyeoljang, the names of the top five candidates illuminated the scoreboard.
1. Rain Ludwig: 100 scrolls.
2. Krista Warden: 87 scrolls.
3. Nora Ledon: 80 scrolls.
4. Kaiden: 79 scrolls.
5. Lilian Carain: 79 scrolls.
Kyle, filled with excitement, felt a thrill race down his spine as he gazed at the list of accepted candidates displayed before him.
“Do you know this, Master?”
“That’s something you must express in words, don’t you think?”
“Except for the great sage Lyart Warden, nobody has expended one hundred scrolls in the final examinations!”
The feat accomplished by Rain Ludwig rivaled even the famed achievements of Lyart Warden. In astonishment, Marhena narrowed his eyes, seemingly unimpressed.
“Sure, until now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Now that the next generation has shown us one hundred scrolls expended, wouldn’t it invite some different modifications?”
As Kyle suddenly grasped the essence of what the master was saying, he chuckled softly.
There was no denying that it was a signature praise from Marhena, known for his solemn demeanor.
“Except for Lyart Warden and Rain Ludwig, no one has ever reached that milestone…”
