Offer a Tribute and Become an Archmage - Chapter 136



Only Noblemtl

Episode 136.

A few days ago.

Mick entered the forest where he was hiding at the Master’s call. It was a forest that could be found anywhere. It was not a place where colorful magic existed, nor was it a place where meaningful experiments were conducted.

Just an ordinary forest.

It was a place where nothing more existed, but just because he resided there, this forest became no ordinary forest. It was a shabby hideout that did not suit him, the founding father of the kingdom and the only great wizard of the kingdom.

But rather, in the place called the Wizard’s Forest, Mick knelt before his master.

“Did you call?”

“They say the empire’s wizard has been captured.”

The kingdom’s archmage.

Ashwald lived up to his nickname. His faded hair and wrinkled face showed the passage of time, and the dazzle in his eyes was unfathomable.

Mick was a man who was proud of being a disciple of such an Eschwald.

“Are you listening?”

“Yes, I heard that too. There is still talk about him among the palace magicians.”

Head Collector, Cloud. The Empire’s Great Wizard. A wizard who has reached the level of a wizard as the disciple of Genos. His fame and infamy are well known to those who know him.

‘The wizard’s nemesis.’

He is famous for his infamy of cutting off the head of a wizard, making him unable to live or die for the rest of his life.

But that guy…

“The immovable Gaisha. It’s a shame. A great talent has returned to the dust.”

“Do you believe that?”

“… don’t you think so?”

“That witch can’t beat that guy. A wizard is called a wizard for nothing.”

Wizard. A word meaning a wizard who can destroy a castle alone.

“These days, young people judge the meaning of a wizard only by the scale of power, but in reality, it is not like that. Tell me, Mick. What is a wizard?”

“A person who has an ideal in magic.”

“yes.”

One who truly knows that magic is called a miracle.

He who can do it.

This is called a wizard.

Breaking down the castle is secondary.

Originally a salt that was imbued with magic.

It means one who can control it.

“Only when you breathe ideals into magic can you call it a miracle.”

Ashwald grabbed a handful of dirt and held it in both hands. Immediately, the dirt turned into a jewel in the archmage’s hands. The brilliant amber-colored gems quickly turned into sand as he waved his hand, and the wind carried them through his fingers.

A transfer that is amazing no matter how many times you look at it.

A mystery worthy of being called a great wizard.

Mick swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.

“But a wizard of such an empire… would be defeated by the witch of Aolos. Who would believe that?”

“Then, is the rumor true?”

Ashwald glanced at Mick, then sat down on the rock with a face that seemed to smile or nod, and closed his eyes as if savoring the sunlight.

“There is no coincidence in this world. What happens is inevitable, and necessity creates cause and effect.”

Ashwald handed over a book he was holding to Mick. Mick took the book that had been blown in by the wind in a flurry. It was Ashwald’s Magic Theory, which he had read when he was young.

“I want to create a connection.”

To the mysterious sprout that grew in the kingdom.

“Come and hear the answer.”

*

After finishing his thoughts, Mick looked at the young boy while drinking Aolos’ tea.

‘You can’t tell a wizard’s age just by looking at them. I thought they might be foreign wizards who hide their faces and hid their identities…’

There hasn’t been any sign of that so far.

The actions and behaviors are exactly like those of a child who wants to look like an adult.

Could it really be that this kind of person defeated the Empire’s wizard? Ashwald said there were no coincidences, but it could really have been an absurd coincidence.

“hmm.”

He looks at the book with a serious expression, but his face is quite innocent. The boy’s face looks young, like he is about thirteen years old at best.

‘If you learn magic at a young age, your growth will be extremely slow. If you look that young, your actual age is at least twenty, or thirty.’

But when you look at that appearance, you definitely don’t see him as an adult of that age.

A man may age but he is still a child… but Baron Jun is still a child.

“Hmm…”

“June Baron, if you have any difficulty reading, please let me know. There may be parts that are difficult to understand. I had the same problem when I first read the book.”

“No, it’s not that difficult.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, yeah!”

After that, only a few pages were turned. Mick couldn’t bring himself to think about it.

He was born a nobleman, and was an elite who had shown great talent for magic from a young age, enough to become Ashwald’s disciple.

so.

so…

‘When Benny said let’s study, I should’ve done it together. Damn…’

I never thought that there would be a nobleman who couldn’t read.

There were quite a few reasons why Ronobe did not study. First of all, he was mentally unstable and had no time. He also did not have the resources to hire a teacher to teach him.

Just after the war ended.

Gradas was busy, both inside and out, and Ronobe had to either practice magic in his own way or fulfill his schedule as a hero of Gradas.

‘For me, the only writing system is Hunminjeongeum!’

Besides, he is Korean to the core.

The only thing I learned was Hunminjeongeum.

Since he was a man who knew the greatness of Hunminjeongeum, he had little desire to learn the crooked writing of the Middle Ages.

So now, I was pretending to read a book and pretending to be calm.

‘The Archmage’s messenger. His disciple. Then he must be a man of few words even in the palace.’

You can’t help but look at the book in front of him. It’s a book of magical theory that the great wizard himself gave you. It’s said to be a book that would bring honor to the family just by looking at it.

In front of such a person, it is quite difficult to choose to put the book down. It is like he brought a gift, so it would be rude to put it down without even reading a few words.

It is a sign that you will have a connection with none other than the kingdom’s only great wizard.

‘You should at least show some courtesy.’

There’s nothing good about being a rival to the Archmage. He must have liked you in the first place. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent you a gift like this.

‘You must want to take me as your disciple.’

Not bad.

The great wizard’s disciple.

I also learned quite a bit from Gaisha.

What about the Archmage?

If you become his disciple, your future will be bright and your magical achievements will reach even higher heights. Of course, even if you don’t become his disciple, it’s not bad to make a good connection with the great wizard.

‘We have a common enemy.’

empire.

The Archmage also showed interest in him because he captured the Empire’s magician. So it is difficult to see Ashwald harboring ill will toward Ronobe.

‘Phew.’

Ronobe, who had finished organizing his thoughts, quickly closed the book.

Honestly, my head is still complicated.

But you can’t just pretend to read a book you can’t understand forever.

‘Anyway, there is a man in front of you who knows the entire contents of the book.’

But does he really need to read books? In the first place, Ronobe didn’t like reading books in his previous life either.

He is a member of the digital generation who lived in the 21st century and spent more time looking at computer screens than books. He has never experienced the rough texture of books and the feeling of reading books filled with elegant letters written in cursive.

In an age where a quick search will yield a flood of information that has been replaced by video, is a boring book? Perhaps even writers who make a living writing rarely read books these days.

“I just read it roughly.”

So Ronobe thought.

Learn without reading.

For the past 15 years, Ronobe has been acquiring knowledge without reading books.

How? In words, in words.

“Yes. Go ahead.”

It was originally called magical theory.

If so, it also means that most of it is written in the theory of magic. The theory of magic is, in other words, the theory of miracles. It is written in the knowledge that can understand miracles!

then?

“What do you think Mick has in store for magic?”

Ultimately, the study of knowledge is about investigating and exploring fundamental things.

It’s like magic.

Exploring something called magic.

Because of this, as we talk, we cannot help but talk about the fundamentals of what magic is.

“What’s in the magic…”

Mick chuckled.

“You are saying something similar to what the Master said. It seems like a simple question, but one that will be difficult for me throughout my life.”

Mick put down his teacup and crossed his arms.

He stroked the black ring on his index finger with his thumb, closed his eyes as if to collect his thoughts, and then opened his mouth.

“The Master always said that magic should be filled with ideals. He said that if you can do that, you are no different from reaching the level of a wizard.”

“Abnormal… Wizard…”

“But everyone’s interpretation of magic is different. The Master also said that the answer to this question will vary from person to person.”

Mick took a sip of his tea, as if his throat was burning, and continued speaking.

“But that’s what the Master said… I’m a little different. I think that anything contained in magic is just magic.”

“What’s in magic is magic…?”

“Yes. Oh, my expression was too vague. To put it in simpler terms…”

Mick looked down at his teacup.

“This teacup is a cup for holding tea. I think magic is the same. Let’s think of this teacup as magic. Then whatever is inside it is magic.”

“…?”

Ronobe didn’t understand.

It wasn’t a matter of understanding, but rather of having a hard time figuring out what was being said.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

Mick smiled faintly, not knowing whether he knew what was inside or not.

“Your Majesty, can you see that what you are holding in your teacup is not tea, but poison?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes. I think that’s what magic is. Even if you don’t know what it’s made of, once it’s in the teacup, if it’s in the grimoire, it’s magic. So magic is just magic. That’s what I think.”

As he said that, Mick lifted his teacup, savored it, and smiled.

‘Magic is just magic…’

It was a vague statement.

It seemed like there was something mysterious, but it just sounded like nonsense.

“Do you know this saying?”

“which…”

“Miracles come and go.”

“I heard…”

I heard from Elicia that Cloud had said something like that. Even now, Ronobe doesn’t know exactly what it meant. It seems like it means the successor to the lineage, but it doesn’t fit the situation.

“If you have a teacup, any water becomes tea. Even brackish water becomes tea, and even poisonous water becomes tea. But they soon disappear and are filled with new tea. That’s how miracles go around and around.”

Mick was talking about the cycle of miracles. Of course, Ronobe didn’t understand. Ronobe had become incredibly wise, but that was wisdom that had grown through experience, not knowledge.

‘If I had kept my mouth shut, I would have gotten halfway there…’

But this is what I found out.

Mick is a true wizard.

Just as he had admired Gaisha, Ronobe was able to feel the mysterious existence of a wizard once again while watching Mick.

“Well, then, it’s time to hear from Baron Jun. Baron Jun. What do you think magic involves?”

“hmm…”

It was Ronobe who asked the question in the first place.

There’s nothing I haven’t thought about.

Although it may not have been obvious to others, it was a theory that was as natural as breathing to Ronobe.

“It’s a feeling.”

emotion.

The first thing I realized when I started to explore magic was that magic is based on emotions. I realized this when I saw Karankar’s past and got beaten by a flock of crows.

“Feelings?”

Just as Ronobe didn’t understand Mick’s answer, Mick didn’t sympathize with Ronobe’s answer either. Ronobe was overconfident for no reason. When someone knows something I don’t, I feel intimidated, but when someone doesn’t know something I know, I feel confident. That’s human nature.

Ronobe said, puffing out his chest.

“There are different feelings about miracles. I think there is a big difference between knowing this and not knowing it.”

Karankar’s oil is greatly influenced by anger. Anna’s magic is firmly equipped with cold reason. To be honest, I don’t know how this came to be. However, even if you don’t know the principle, there is a difference between knowing and not knowing.

‘Blue fire is probably something similar.’

I still have a feeling that the blue fire, which I haven’t properly understood yet, might be caused by emotions. I once asked Karankar about the existence of the blue fire, which is hotter than normal fire.

[What is that? It’s scary! It’s ghost fire!]

Karankar had no idea. He had been tempted to ask Yonterion, but he was afraid that he would ask for the grimoire in return.

“Your Majesty, it seems as if you were saying… that magic is a living creature.”

“That’s how it is.”

“Because dead things can’t have emotions. It’s like…”

Mick stroked his chin and pondered.

Ronobe waited calmly for an answer.

After a while.

“I’m sorry. I was in deep thought for a moment.”

“no.”

“A long time ago, the Master met an unknown magician and said something like this.”

“What are you saying…”

“His magic was alive. He even said that he had gone halfway to implanting a soul into magic. At the time, I thought it was just a metaphor… but after hearing your story, I think it might be true.”

Planting a soul into magic?

Going beyond the realm?

These were words I couldn’t understand. But the content was also emotionally interesting.

‘If you implant a soul into something magical, it becomes alive? That’s amazing.’

The conversation with the wizard was more fun than I thought. It felt like we were sharing our views and accumulating knowledge about magic. It felt like we were reviewing each other’s answers to a single question. Rather than debating who was right, the generous atmosphere of thinking that there could be such an answer made me feel at ease.

‘That’s fun.’

Reading books was not my thing, but this kind of exchange was not bad. Ronobe and Mick were deep in thought, chewing over each other’s answers. They talked about other things too. Most of them were about magic.

Although they did not directly talk about their magic to each other, they talked about the power and operation of magic and the miracles contained in magic, and as they talked, they forgot each other’s positions and ended up talking like children. However, their conversation did not last long.

“Benny, are you here?”

“Yeah. This person…”

It was Benny. He was wearing a hunter’s outfit and hood, not a knight’s, and he had come from somewhere hunting.

“You are the wife of the Baron. My name is Mick, the Royal Magician. It’s already this late. I must have taken up too much of your time.”

“No, I enjoyed it too.”

Ronobé shook Mick’s hand cordially.

My first impression was a bit off, but he wasn’t a bad person. He accepted the magical realization I had been surrounded by as it was and understood it through my own solution. That alone made me realize that Mick’s capacity was broad and his character was not bad.

“That’s a good thing. Today, there will be a party to welcome me at Sist. Why not join us and enjoy it?”

“I don’t know if it’s a nuisance.”

“A nuisance? Who would call the disciple of the great wizard a nuisance? There are also children I want to show you, so please join us.”

I want to show you Lirun and Peter.

And even Aekku. Although he could not acquire knowledge through books, he could gain as much wisdom as he wanted from people.

For Ronobe, a wizard was a book.

End